A Paying Customer
by albe-chan
Summary: Lily Potter is lots of things. She's a prostitute, an addict, and she's definitely a night-rider. The one thing she definitely isn't is beautiful. After agreeing to be in a documentary, she learns two things: Scorpius Malfoy doesn't know shit about her and no matter how hard you try to hold things in, they always come spilling out. VERY MATURE. NextGen. Non-Magic AU. LilyScorpius.
1. Chapter 1

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.

XXX

Lily Potter opened hazel eyes blearily, squinting at the chipper late morning sunshine that poured in through a crack at the top of the blanket that served as a curtain in the master bedroom. There was snoring from behind her, loud and bothersome, and the young woman sat up, rubbing her face, wishing she was still unconscious. She grabbed a cigarette from the pack on the night stand, flicked her lighter and took a long drag, blowing it out as she sent a filthy look at the man snoring next to her.

She tossed her long, snarled mane of wavy, dark red hair, got out of bed with a groan as her aching muscles protested, and shuffled to the bathroom. Her reflection in the mirror was haggard, and she frowned at the dark circles of eyeliner and mascara around her eyes, the dark red smear of lipstick around her mouth. She looked like shit, there was no other way to describe it. And she felt like shit after the previous night. She cleaned up as best she could, used the facilities, and headed back to the master bedroom, toward the sound of snoring.

Her mouth turned down as the man slept on, oblivious, and she hastily got dressed in the clothes she'd arrived in last night. Black lace panties, a slinky little gold dress, and four inch platform stilettos. Her purse was, thankfully, where she'd left it on the dresser. Her payment was next to it, and she counted the bills carefully before tucking them into her purse. A small smirk curved her lips as she helped herself to an extra twenty from the man's wallet, left on the dresser beside her purse, and chanced a glance back at the sleeping figure. He snored on and her smirk widened. She picked up the little baggie of off white powder that had been under his wallet and tipped some out, even as her other hand reached for the section of straw she always carried in her purse.

In seconds she'd snorted the little pile, feeling the tingling rush of cocaine tickle her nose and the familiar taste in the back of her throat. Now she was at least partly awake. Sealing the little baggie again, she placed it back under the man's wallet and glanced at him. She couldn't remember his name, not that it mattered, but it still bothered her. She was tempted to find out, but forced the urge down. It wasn't her business to know who paid for a night of her services, so long as they paid.

She snitched another smoke, lit it up, and headed out of the dingy, run down apartment. Thomas. That was it, he'd said his name was Thomas. Lily smirked at that as she finally got outside into the already cloying early summer heat. As far as customers went, he'd been pretty good. And after turning tricks for the last six months, Lily had seen and experienced the not so good ones. But Thomas had been alright, even if he'd be pissed when he woke up to half the coke gone and missing twenty dollars. The redhead didn't much care. He wasn't one of her regulars and she had no intentions of letting him become one. She squinted at the harsh glare of sunlight as she strode purposefully down the sidewalk and pulled out her cellphone, puffing her cigarette.

At twenty two, Lily had seen and experienced far more of life than she'd ever wanted to. Though she supposed that came with her line of work. She was relatively petite, though well endowed, and her entire life, people had always said she was pretty. As a kid, she recalled her various aunts and uncles commenting she'd be beautiful when she grew up. The thought now made Lily snort with derision. She was still good looking enough, she reckoned, but definitely not beautiful by any means. Life had assured she'd never be that B word.

She tapped out her boyfriend's number and listened to the phone ring as she power-walked down the sidewalk, hardly aware of the disapproving stares of other women and the covert, lascivious glances from men. At last, someone picked up with a muffled "'Lo?"

"Taz, get the fuck up," she said. "Come get me."

The voice grunted. "Fuck you, Lily, I'm sleeping."

She knew he'd hang up on her and took a hard drag off her cigarette. "Then wake up, you motherfucker. I'm not walking fifteen blocks."

"Fuck you," Taz grunted.

"You can do that when you come get me," she purred. "Hurry up. I'm walking down Blight Street now, heading to Lincoln."

"Fucking Christ, Lily, it's the crack of fucking dawn," Taz grumbled, but she heard him getting up.

"It is not, you stupid fucker. Get your ass out of bed and come get me."

"I'm coming, bitch, keep your fucking panties on," he snarled, then hung up on her.

She walked three more blocks before she finally spotted the familiar dark blue Mercedes parked up the street. Lily slid into the passenger seat, growling, "Fucking took you long enough."

"Fuck you, bitch," Taz said, still looking half asleep. "You get paid?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes, pulling the wad of cash from her purse. "Go to Dave's," she said, tossing six hundred dollars at him. She knew, when he didn't throw some coke at her in return he was dry and it ruined her mood.

"No, I'm going to Murphy."

Lily felt her temper flare. It was the bane of having red hair, the temper that went with it, and it had fucked her over plenty of times. "No you're fucking not, his shit is garbage and he's a fucking pervert. Go to Dave."

"Fuck you, bitch, who you think is driving?" Taz snapped back.

"A big fucking pussy, that's who," she snarked, digging for cigarettes in her purse.

Taz pulled up to a red light and reached over, grabbing a fistful of her hair roughly. "The fuck you calling a pussy, bitch?"

"I'm calling you a fucking pussy, Taz," she said through gritted teeth. He jerked her head back.

"Fucking dumb bitch," he growled, and pulled her closer, kissing her hard, then threw her back into her seat. "Swear to fucking Christ I wanna fuckin' slap you sometimes."

"Go fuck yourself. Go to Dave's," she said as the light changed. "I'll fucking go in by myself."

Taz snorted. "So you can spread your fucking legs for him again?"

Lily laughed, located cigarettes and lit one, passing it wordlessly to Taz. "Grow the fuck up, Taz. He was a paying customer."

"And you put all the profits up your nose, you fucking whore," he shot back. Lily lit her own smoke and rolled her eyes.

"Then you fuck guys for a living and snort your own profits, motherfucker."

Taz smirked as Lily put her feet up on the dash. "Nah, all the niggas pay big bucks for your skinny white ass."

"Except you," Lily shot back.

Taz grinned, flashing his trademark smile with perfect, straight white teeth, a single canine plated in platinum. "I pay enough. I gotta get up at the fucking crack of dawn to pick your lazy ass up, don't I? Not to mention the bitching."

Lily smiled, because it was the grin that had first attracted her to Taz. And the fact he sold coke. And he wasn't at all bad looking, even if he was an ungrateful motherfucker. He was average height, milk chocolate mixed, his dark hair almost always braided back into intricate cornrows, and his dark brown eyes were shrewd. He was lean and well-muscled thanks to a life growing up in the streets and a surprisingly sharp businessman, considering Lily knew he'd dropped out of high school in the tenth grade. "Babe, if I was lazy, I sure as fuck wouldn't have walked. I'd have sat my skinny white ass on the curb and waited."

"Are fuckin' too lazy," he said, cigarette hanging out of his mouth. "Should've walked that skinny white ass all the way home and woke me up with that nasty fucking cocktease mouth on my dick. Not yelling and screeching at me like a crazy bitch."

Lily laughed, leaning over and snapping her teeth together beside his ear. "Just for that I'm gonna bite it off next time," she purred.

"Nah, you wouldn't do that." He glanced over. "Who'd get you your next fix?"

Lily shrugged, sitting back in her seat. "I'd fucking call Ian. He'd drive me to Dave's."

Taz shot her a filthy look and she smirked. "Fuckin' bitch," he muttered. Ian was technically Lily's ex, although she'd gone back to him a half dozen times, twice since being with Taz, when things got too intense and crazy, and she knew Taz was insanely jealous of the older, decidedly wealthier man.

Ian was at least old enough to be Lily's father, and one of her first ever johns, and wanted nothing more than for her to settle down with him, get married, and pop out his babies. Lily would rather cut off her right hand than do any of that, but having Ian as a fallback, knowing he'd be there whenever she called because he was hopelessly in love with her, was a plus. And he was the very best sort of enabler. He didn't ask bothersome questions and didn't push her to commit and always had a hundred dollars to give her in cash for her fix. She hadn't talked to him in awhile, although she still sent him the odd text when she felt particularly mushy. He sent her a message at least once a week, telling her how wonderful and smart and beautiful she was, not that she really bought that, and how much he adored her and missed her.

"You bet. Go to Dave's."

"I'm not fucking going to fucking Dave's," Taz snarled. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Fuck you, Taz, just fucking go to Dave. Everyone knows I'm a fucking whore, no one fucking cares except you."

"Shut the fuck up," Taz said and flicked his finished cigarette out the window.

"Choke on a fucking dick, asshole," Lily grumbled. They pulled up to another light and Lily snorted when a minivan pulled up beside them. Behind the wheel was a thirty-something man, looking like he wanted to off himself. Through her cracked window, Lily could hear his wife bitching at him. He rolled his eyes as she watched, then his gaze flicked to her. She licked her lips lasciviously, winked, and teased the neckline of her dress down, tits almost popping out. His brows shot up, eyes going wide, and Lily mouthed the words 'Let's fuck' and laughed as his jaw dropped open.

Taz pulled away from the light, taking a left, and made a sound of disgust. "You really are a fucking whore," he grumbled.

"Yup," she said, smirking, and leaned over, kissing his neck. "And I'm all yours, babe."

"Get the fuck off me," he said, pushing her back. Her expression soured.

"I'll remember that the next time you want me to ride your dick, motherfucker," she grumbled and slouched in the seat. Ten minutes later they pulled to a stop.

"You love riding my dick, bitch, like you'd say no." He threw her money from the night before and then some at her. "Now get the fuck up and get my shit. I'm not waiting all fucking day."

Lily rolled her eyes, but she saw, as she climbed out of the car, they'd pulled up to Dave's place. She smirked a tiny bit and headed up the crumbling walkway toward the drug house. She knocked, knowing the door would be locked.

"Who is it?" a gruff voice asked from the other side of the door. Lily rolled her eyes at the peeling orange paint that may or may not have originally been red.

"The fucking tooth fairy," she said. "Open up Dave, it's me."

The door cracked open and a tall, skinny black guy stood there, smirking down at her. "What you want, Red?"

"Taz wants his shit. He's pouting like a pussy in the car because he's realizing his girlfriend is a big fucking slut." She rolled her eyes. "Are you inviting me in, or did your mama not teach you any manners?"

"Yo, shut your mouth 'bout my mama," Dave said, but let her in. "How much?"

"The usual," Lily said, pushing a hand through her hair, moving into the skeletal kitchen, most of the cupboards empty and missing their doors, the stove the only appliance. Dave took out a digital scale and weighed some shit out as Lily waited impatiently. She wanted to go home and shower and do another line or two. Her high was already fading.

"So when you gonna ditch Taz and move on up, Red?" Dave finally asked, holding out a large bag of white powder. Lily snickered.

"When I find a better dick," she said lightly, handing over some money as the drugs went into her purse. "What, did you think I'd come hook up with you, Dave?"

"If you was smart you would."

Lily grinned. "Guess it's a good thing I'm a dumb whore, eh? So, you gonna hook me up with a sniff?"

Dave snorted. "Yeah the fuck right. This ain't the charity house, bitch."

She pouted. "C'mon, Dave, be a nice guy." She tossed her hair, and sidled up to him. "You owe me from last time anyway."

He rolled dark eyes. "Yeah?"

"Fuckin' right. I treated you real nice the next morning, didn't I?" He smirked, because she'd treated him to a free, complimentary blowjob for being a decent john and not asking for anything extra nasty.

"Knew you'd come lookin' for something in return soon enough," he grumbled, but lifted a little vial from his pocket and tapped out a generous pile onto the kitchen counter. "Go for it, Red," he said, putting the cocaine back in his pocket. She dug out her section of straw and grinned.

"Thanks Dave, you're a sweetheart." She snorted the pile with well-practised ease, rubbing her nose as it burned deliciously, euphoria unfurling through her brain. "Fuck me, is that pure?"

"Course. Now you owe me another blowjob, bitch."

Hazel eyes rolled. "Sure thing. Have Taz set you up an appointment." She headed back to the car idling at the curb and slid into the passenger seat.

"Fucking took you long enough," Taz grumbled. She lit a cigarette and passed him his coke.

"You know Dave, he's a regular fuckin' Chatty Cathy."

Taz glanced at her. "You best not be skimming off the top," he warned. "Your nose is lookin' awful fucking white."

"Fuck you, I paid for it," she replied as he pulled away and headed back to their own little apartment. "Should be all mine anyway."

Taz snorted. "Sure thing, bitch. You know I'll triple up in a week and you'd just put the whole thing in your fucking nose."

"Whatever. Drive faster, I wanna go home and shower."

"Don't forget you got Tiny coming tonight."

Lily rolled her eyes, lip curling. Tiny was anything but and one of her least favourite johns. He was forceful and demanding, but paid the money, though, so she didn't complain too much. And never to Taz anymore, as he'd been the one who'd first introduced her to Tiny, and most of her other johns. And he didn't much like any sort of what he deemed 'back chatting' when it came to her work, which meant she shut up and let him pick her johns for the most part. "You know what that means, then," she replied, puffing her cigarette.

"What?"

"I don't wanna see another big black dick for twenty four hours after."

Taz grinned. "'Cept mine."

"Especially yours." He laughed, goading her temper. "I'm fucking serious, Taz. Last time was fucking brutal."

"Suck it up, bitch. He pays more than enough." Lily shot him a filthy look, because it wasn't his ass being stretched beyond the realm of plausible and then fucked by the hulking black man. "'Sides, last time he only stayed an hour."

"Yeah, 'cause it only took an hour to fucking break me," she grumbled. "When's he coming?"

"Seven. Light me a smoke."

She passed him hers but he shot her the 'are you kidding me' look. "Fuck, you're such a baby. Learn how to light your own fucking smoke while you're driving, pussy-assed bitch."

"Calm the fuck down, Lily," he said, accepting the cigarette after she'd lit it for him. "This is why I fucking hate when you don't snort first thing. You turn into a psycho bitch."

"Fuck you, Taz."

"I bet you'd like that." He swung into the parking spot for their building and they got out. In the elevator he pulled her to him and kissed her hard, pushing his tongue into her mouth, fondling her roughly through her dress. She shoved him back but he was distinctly larger than her and forced himself forward, a hand closing around her throat, and she submitted when his pelvis trapped her against the wall of the elevator. "Fucking slut," he growled and she gasped.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open on their floor. Taz preceded her out and she followed, feeling, as she usually did after an episode like that, raw and cheap and wanted nothing more than to get as high as possible to black it out of her consciousness. Once inside their apartment she went back to the second bedroom, her room where she entertained customers and kept her shit, and kicked her shoes off. It wasn't much, but it was home enough.

Lily stripped her dress and went to shower, running the water as hot as she could stand it before stepping under the steaming spray. Half an hour later, hair wrapped in a threadbare towel and in clean clothes and underwear, she felt distinctly less gross and the buzz from the sniff she'd had at Dave's wasn't dwindling. She padded out to the kitchen in shorts and a tank top and saw Taz doing business in the living area with one of his junkies.

She rolled her eyes and opened the fridge, frowning at moldy leftovers and expired milk. She picked up the orange juice and shook the carton. Good enough. She poured herself some after doing the sniff check, and then topped up her cup with vodka. It was down in three gulps and she shuddered and moved into the living room. A long, fat blunt burned in the ashtray and there was some kind of stupid shooting game paused on the massive flatscreen TV that looked distinctly out of place in their humble flat.

Lily plopped into the armchair, took a drag off the blunt and then lit a cigarette. Taz's customer paid up and headed out. "Where's mine?" she asked as he put his coke away. Taz threw a slim dime bag at her. "The fuck is this?"

"That's yours," he said easily.

"Where the fuck's the rest?" she demanded.

Taz picked up his blunt and smoked it, chuckling. "Funny, Lily. You get the rest when I say you get the rest."

She narrowed her eyes but opened the little baggie anyway. "You should be a fucking Jew you're so cheap," she snarked, tapping out a big pile, then picked up an exacto knife blade refill and arranged the powder into a nice long line.

"You can have the rest before Tiny comes," he said, putting his blunt in his lips and pressing buttons on his video game controller. She rolled her eyes, snorted her line with a rolled up twenty, and sat back, sniffling a bit, and then her cell rang. She got up, took her hair out of the towel and looked at her cell as she picked up her smoke. The display told her it was her mother.

"Fucking shit fuck, what day is it, Taz?"

The phone kept ringing. "I don't fucking know," he said, clearly distracted by video games. "Do I look like a motherfuckin' calendar, bitch?"

"Shut the fuck up," she snarled, puffed off her cigarette, then picked up. "Hi, Mom," she said grimly.

"Hello, Lily. Is now an okay time?" her mother asked hesitantly. Lily rolled her eyes and exited the living room as the very loud sounds of shooting erupted in the background, heading to her room.

"Sure, Mom. What's up?"

"It's Sunday, and you never got back to me on Wednesday, honey. I was just calling to see if you're still coming to dinner tonight."

Lily barely bit back the curse. She'd entirely forgotten the stupid family barbecue her parents were holding. "Shoot, y'know what, I'm not sure, Mom. I'll have to check. I may have booked myself up." She bit back another curse at the slip and took a long drag off her smoke, blowing it out silently.

"Booked yourself for what?" her mother demanded.

"An appointment," she said shortly, rolling her eyes. How could her mother be so ignorant? "Anyway, what time is it at, the dinner sh- thing?"

"Well, we're eating at five, but if you could come early that would be lovely. It's been so long since you've seen everyone, honey." Lily grimaced. Not long enough in her opinion. Besides, she knew precisely what her father and brothers would say when she arrived. But she couldn't stand the thought of disappointing her mother. Again.

"Maybe," she hedged. "I'll be there, but I might have to duck out early. For my appointment you know. We'll see."

"Alright, honey. Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"Uh," she said, because she didn't want her mother knowing where she lived, nor did she want Taz knowing where her parents lived. "Pick me up at the library downtown," she said.

"Sure thing, honey. Is three o'clock good?"

"Three's perfect, Mom. I'll be there. See you then. Bye." She hung up, cutting off her mother's response and ran a hand through her hair, then brushed it out properly and put it up in a bun atop her head.

"Why the fuck is mommy calling you?" Taz mumbled when she finished her cigarette and came back to the living room. "Son of a bitch, you fucking little cocksucker." Apparently he'd been shot in his game. Lily sat beside him on the couch, taking the blunt when he passed it.

"Just 'cause some of us have mothers who don't hate us and like to check in every now and then, don't mean shit," she said, rolling her eyes.

Taz clicked buttons on his controller. "You're fucked, my mama's fucking six feet under."

"Aw, you need a hug?" she asked, then took another drag off the blunt and passed it back. "My mom is picking me up at three for some lame fucking family dinner bullshit."

"Nothin' wrong with home cooking," Taz drawled. "Maybe your mama shoulda gave you some fuckin' lessons on that." Lily smacked him on the arm. "You gonna bring your ass back on time?"

"Maybe," she said.

"You better, bitch," he grumbled, back to shooting people. Lily rolled her eyes as a knock sounded on the door. "Go get that."

"No, you go get it," she said, not wanting to move. "It's not gonna be for me anyway."

"Go fucking get the door, bitch, I'm obviously fucking busy," Taz snapped. Lily got up and he smacked her hard on the ass. "Go quick times."

She flipped him off as she moved away but opened the door a tiny crack anyway. "What?" she snapped at the man standing on the other side.

"Where's Taz?"

Lily looked at the guy suspiciously, because he sure as hell didn't look at all like Taz's usual customers. He was tall, definitely ripped judging by the size of his arms and the way his shirt fit him, and distinctly white. Even his hair was almost white it was so blond. Her eyes narrowed, because he looked like he might be a cop. "Who the fuck are you?" she asked.

"Who are you?" he shot back. "Where's Taz?"

"You gonna make my fucking customers wait outside the door all day, you dumb bitch?" Taz hollered. Lily shrugged and let the guy in, half hoping he was a cop. "Oh shit, it's you," Taz said, looking over as the tall blond crossed the threshold.

"It's me," he affirmed, then glanced at Lily. "This her?"

"Yeah," Taz said, outing his blunt. Lily folded her arms, eyes narrowed suspiciously still.

"She looks like shit." Her temper flared at that but she bit her tongue and moved back to her own room.

"Where you fucking going?" Taz said.

"If you think that's happening, you're smoking crack, fuck face," Lily said. "I don't fuck with white boys who look like cops, dick head."

The blond man looked at Taz. "She's got a mouth."

"Lucky for you it's free right now. Lily, get your fucking ass back here." The redhead sighed but turned back around expectantly, still halfway down the hall. "This fucker has a proposition for you."

"No," she said without waiting to hear it. "I don't want a new one and there's no way he's not a fucking cop. You don't just get to sign people up without my say so, Taz."

She saw Taz's mouth tighten, dark eyes narrowing dangerously. Lily knew if the random guy hadn't been standing there in the kitchen, he'd have probably backhanded her. "Shut the fuck up and listen," Taz said with steely authority.

She grit her teeth and glared at the blond man, moving back into the kitchen. He smirked briefly. "I'm making a documentary about sex workers. The truth behind the glamour, if you will," he said. Lily snorted. Yeah, it was real fucking glamorous fucking some guy's brains out at three in the morning when you haven't slept and you stink from your last john.

"Sounds like it'll win Oscars and shit," she said scathingly, then glared at Taz. "What the fuck is this?"

"A chance for you to make some cash for doing what you do best. Letting that mouth run."

The blond man's mouth thinned. "Obviously some of the things will be difficult to talk about, and I'll be expecting full disclosure and honesty. No one watches documentaries about lies."

It was Lily's experience that not a whole lot of people watched documentaries about truths either. She frowned. "And what the fuck's in it for me?" she demanded.

Taz shot her a warning look. "You know what's in it for you," he said darkly.

"You get a chance to shine a light on the second oldest profession and still one of the most taboo subjects there is. And you get to be on film."

"Wow, a fucking movie star? Where do I sign?" she said sarcastically. "I don't think so."

Taz opened his mouth to say something, but then the blond man, smirking wider, said, "Not even for a hundred dollars an hour?"

Her brows went up a bit at that. That wasn't no chump change. "And all I'd have to do is talk?" she asked suspiciously. He nodded. "And you'll pay cash?"

"No," he said. Now Taz looked suspicious. "My production company won't let me pay you in cash. They like to declare things on their taxes. You'll get a check when we wrap filming."

"Fuck that," Taz said.

Lily was still tempted though. Hell, if she did ten eight hour nights, that would be almost what she made in a whole month. And eight grand bought a fuck ton of coke. "Will the check be in my name?" she asked.

Taz shot her another warning look. "Of course," blondie said. He pulled a card from his pocket, looking distinctly amused, and handed it to her. "Give me a call if you decide you're in."

When the door closed behind him, Taz reached for the card, but she was too quick, and he grasped air instead. "You're not fuckin' doing it without at least half the cash up front," Taz said with finality.

"Why?" she demanded. "We could make so much fucking money. Fuck we could get out of this shit hole apartment, get a real fucking place. Why not, Taz?"

He grabbed her by the back of the neck. "Because if I know you, you'll feel bad or some shit, or get greedy, and probably end up fucking that cracker on the side. I'm not fucking stupid, bitch." He pulled her close. "And if you think I'm fucking stupid enough to let my golden goose just walk on up and out the goddamn barn, you got another think coming, bitch."

Lily forced her mouth to turn up seductively, smoothing her hands up Taz's chest and around his neck. "If you're stupid, then I must be fucking retarded for hooking up with you in the first place, right?" She pressed her breasts against him. "And anyway, the only thing that cracker has that you don't is a small dick, babe. Why would I wanna fuck him?"

Taz looked at her for a moment, then smiled a little. "Damn right."

"So can I do it?" she asked, even though she'd already made up her mind to give the blond cracker a call. If Taz didn't want to make money, she'd do it without him.

"Maybe," he said, then pulled her in for a hot kiss that was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Get it," he said, pushing her toward it. She bit her tongue and went to get it. She had to keep Taz happy if she wanted to do this stupid documentary shit. Not that she wanted to, but the lure of the money was far too tempting. She'd lie to Taz to go do it if she had to, but it would be a helluva lot easier to avoid that course of action.

She opened the door a crack again and a skinny, mulatto kid with plain cornrows and golden brown eyes stared back at her. "Sup, Red. Taz in?"

She opened the door wider. "Yeah, c'mon in, Ty."

"I hope you brought what you owe me, little man," Taz said. Ty pulled out a thick wad of cash.

"I always do, Taz. I need to re-up."

Lily frowned. "The fuck? You're like twelve, Ty. How you gonna be dealing?"

He shot her a filthy look, sitting in the armchair as Lily flopped onto the couch. "I'm sixteen, bitch." He looked at Taz. "You should muzzle that one."

Lily glared, but Taz smirked. "Call me when your balls drop," she muttered, and tapped out the last of her dime bag. She snorted it and felt a blast of life energy pour through her. "I'm starved, you want me to get you something, babe?" she asked Taz.

"Order in," he said. She pouted. "Fuck, go get whatever then. But get your ass back here quick." She smirked and kissed the side of his mouth, knowing he'd want to fuck when she got back, before she had to go meet her mother.

"Okay. Bye brat," she said to Ty, who gave her the finger. She laughed, grabbed her purse and put flip flops on, then headed out to get a sandwich and maybe a beer.

She got back a little while later, and indeed, Taz wanted to fuck. She was almost late meeting her mother because of it, and although he'd given her another dime bag, she didn't have a spare moment to sniff, and she knew better than to try to do it at her parents' house. It was the reason they'd kicked her out two years ago. So, like a typical coke whore, Lily kept her mother waiting outside while she tapped out a fat line on the back of the public toilet inside the library, and got high off her face.

When she finally slid into her mother's car, she knew she'd look as high as she was, so she left her sunglasses on, and hugged her mother over the center console. "Sorry, I was looking at this display of books on the Renaissance," she invented wildly.

"That sounds fascinating," Ginny Potter said with a brittle smile that had become far too familiar to Lily. The redhead looked out her window.

"So who all's coming?" she said at last, unable to bear the silence any longer. She felt jittery, and too high, like she could run all the way to her parents' place, and sitting still was proving to be a task. She fiddled with the zipper pull on the side pocket of her purse.

"Everyone," her mother said. Lily froze.

"Everyone?" she repeated. "As in, like-?"

"Yes, as in everyone, Lily," her mother said with a small genuine smile. "Your brothers, of course, and most of the extended family. Although I think your Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur won't be able to make it, but Victoire will undoubtedly be there at least, with Teddy."

Lily wet suddenly dry lips. "Cool," she said with a bad attempt at nonchalance, even as her stomach dropped.

"And of course, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, George and Angelina, Percy and Penelope." Lily waited with bated breath for the last uncle's name. "I don't remember if Charlie's coming. Oh dear, there's just so many now," her mother said fondly. "And, certainly, I don't doubt a good number of your cousins will make an appearance."

Lily's heart thud dully in her chest, somehow proving she was still alive even though she felt distinctly dead inside. She hoped to God there was liquor available when they pulled into the driveway and a half dozen cars lined the street in front of her parents' suburban McMansion. When they got out, Ginny entered, with Lily in her wake, through the front door. The younger redhead took a deep breath and forced a smile when her mother looked back at her as they moved into the kitchen. "D'you want me to help with anything, Mom?" Lily asked, if only to delay going out onto the back porch where her father and eldest brother manned twin grills and the horde of Weasley relations gathered.

"Oh no, not at all, honey," Ginny said. "You go on out and say hello to everyone."

Lily grit her teeth, slid her sunglasses up her nose, still not having removed them, and moved to the fridge, pulling out a beer for herself. Her mother's mouth tightened a little, but she didn't comment as Lily cracked it open and chugged a few gulps before opening the sliding glass door.

"Lily!" her father said, sounding surprised and beaming too brightly to be entirely believable, and she saw his gaze drop to the beer in her hand.

It took an effort to keep smiling. "Hi, Dad." She gave him a one armed hug, as well as her brother James, and moved away from them, over to where her cousins Rose and Roxanne were sitting. She pointedly didn't scan the crowd of ginger haired relations.

"Lily, holy shit, you came," Rose said, sitting up, shading her eyes. Roxy smiled.

"Why wouldn't I?" Lily asked a tad defensively, then took a long pull off her beer.

"Yeah, Rose, not all of us are so cool that we have candlelit dinners lined up for after here." The blue-eyed young woman tittered and looked smug.

Lily sat on the end of Rose's lounge chair. "Speak for yourself, Rox," she said sarcastically. "I got lots of romantic shit planned."

Roxy grinned. "No, I just figured Lily was too cool for lame family get togethers," Rose said and she tilted her head. "You skipped Hugo's wedding, after all."

Rose's younger brother, who was the same age as Lily, had gotten married a few months back, but Lily had done a no show at his wedding. She'd claimed food poisoning, but in reality she hadn't wanted to show up with the busted lip Taz had given her the night before. So she'd camped out at Ian's and convinced herself no one even noticed her absence, and stayed up on a coke high for three days straight. "Not by choice," she said. "I figured it would've been poor taste to barf all over the place."

Roxy laughed but Rose's mouth pursed. "Still."

"So tell us all about the romantic shit you got planned then," Roxanne said, drinking her own beer. Lily barely refrained from snorting because she was willing to bet no one thought it was a bad idea for her to be drinking. Oh no, never. Just Lily.

The redhead shrugged. "Maybe more raunchy than romantic, but still. Hot date and all tonight." Rose lifted her brows for a second, just long enough to indicate amused skepticism and Lily's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What's that look for?" she asked stiffly.

"Nothing," Rose said blandly. "It's just...are you ever going to have a serious relationship, Lily?"

The redhead's mouth fell open. "Excuse me?"

"You know. I'm not saying you're a slut, it's just anytime I see you, you talk about going on dates, but has anyone actually met any of these guys? And do they ever last?" Rose did the eyebrow thing again. "I dunno. It just seems like you're not really seriously dating."

"I am so," she snapped. "Just 'cause I don't bring him 'round here to meet the ginger haired abomination that is you Weasleys, doesn't mean I'm not in a serious relationship. I've been with the same guy for like eight months now." Lily glared, then frowned a little. Wait, was it eight months? Or ten? She tried to think back, but it was confusing.

"Just because you fuck the same guy for eight months doesn't make it serious," Rose said, clearly hurt by the Weasley abomination remark.

"Just because no guys want to fuck you for eight months doesn't mean you can sit up on your high horse and judge me. I live with my man, thanks very fucking much."

Rose's mouth dropped open. "Then why doesn't anyone here know him?" she snarled. Roxy looked like she wanted to run for the hills and muttered vaguely about getting another drink before hightailing it away. Before Lily could reply, her cousin said nastily, in a low voice, "Probably because he's a fucking loser, Potter. Congrats, though."

Lily watched her cousin get up and walk away, wondering how she could possibly be related to that when Rose was so bland and vanilla and fucking utterly boring. It was shocking, really. She finished off her beer and set the empty down, then got up and went inside for another on the pretext of finding a snack, should anyone ask her.

An hour and a half later, Lily was three beers in, had decided she pretty much had to be adopted, but was relaxed enough that she could talk and laugh and mingle effortlessly with her relatives. Lord knew she'd had enough practice. She was in the kitchen, getting another drink, and felt her entire body freeze when he walked in. Her eyes dropped even as her temper reared, fighting with shame and embarrassment to make her face red, the combination all but making it glow.

He was a little different than the last time she'd seen him, two years ago, and drastically different from how he'd looked a lot longer ago than that, but her reaction to him was the same as it had always been for almost the last decade. Nerves and nausea, fear and loathing. She forced her eyes back up and glared at him, even as his mouth tilted up a little. "Hello, Lily," he said politely.

She opened her mouth to tell him to go to Hell or worse when her mother breezed in, laughing at something Harry had just said, and beamed at her second oldest brother. "Charlie, you made it!" Ginny Potter said, moving to hug him. Lily turned to exit the kitchen and hit up the little powder room to snort the last of her blow before making a quick getaway. "Lily, come and say hello," her mother said and the redhead was tempted to ignore her, but found herself turning back.

"Hi," she said flatly. His brown eyes roved down over her.

"I like your dress. It looks good on you," her uncle said.

Lily bit her tongue, trying to keep a neutral expression. "Thanks." There was a beat of tense silence where Lily tried not to remember. It was impossible. "I have to use the restroom," she said tightly, and turned away again, beating a hasty retreat even as she felt panic and shame and nausea all choking her.

She locked the door with shaking hands and braced them on the vanity, fighting the urge to retch. She looked at herself in the mirror. Hair down and wild, skin too white, eyes huge. She told herself to get it together, and pushed the feelings down with a deep breath. She got out the last of her cocaine and snorted it off the vanity, gulping at the familiar burn and rush. She looked at her reflection again, slapped her cheeks to force some colour back into them, and flushed the toilet and washed her hands, making sure she wiped her nose.

When Lily got back outside she was feeling better, and resolutely set out to find her mother and tell her she had to head out for her appointment, although that was still plenty of time away. The redhead refused to stay at any family function if he was present, even Christmas. Instead she bumped into her brother Albus.

"Lily," he said, not quite smiling, and he looked at her with the exact same scrutinizing stare their father had upon her arrival. "Does Mom know you're high?" he asked quietly.

The redhead frowned. "You gonna tell her?" She put her sunglasses on. "Either way, if you do talk to her, mention I split."

"How much longer is this going to go on like this?" Albus asked even as she was turning away.

Lily snorted, glancing back and half smiling. "Hopefully not much longer, right?" she said darkly, and walked back into the house and through and out the front door. She pulled out a smoke and lit up as she walked, trying to tell herself she wasn't going to cry.

By the time she got back to her apartment, having called Taz once she was far enough away to pick her up, Lily wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed, curl up in a tiny ball and cry herself into a sleep she would, hopefully, not have to wake from. Instead she got ready for Tiny coming over that night and sweet talked another line out of Taz just before the massive black man arrived.

When he did arrive she smiled at him, feeling euphorically numb after more than a few swigs of tequila while she got ready. "Hello Daddy," she said from where she sat at the end of the bed, and leaned back on her hands as he shut the door.

"When I want you to talk, bitch, I'll fucking tell you," he said menacingly. Lily barely refrained from shrugging as he undressed, and let her brain disengage as instinct took over. Tiny left two hours later, well satisfied, and Lily, distinctly sore and unfulfilled, was a couple hundred bucks richer.

The redhead was smoking, sitting on the edge of the bed when Taz came in. "What?" she asked, not looking up from her blank stare at the ashtray on the night stand.

"You know what," he said, and then slapped her cheek lightly. She held up the two hundred dollars she'd been paid and Taz took it. "Snap out of it, Lily. Get your shit together."

She took one last long drag of her cigarette and outed it, exhaling a cancer-laced cloud as she looked up at him. "If you wanna fuck, I want another line."

Taz grinned. "Yeah right, you think I want those sloppies? I got my afternoon delight. Call up the cracker, bitch. Tell him you're in. I got a good investment opportunity coming up."

Lily barely resisted frowning, because that was her money. Not that she ever went without, but still. "Sure." He turned away and she swung her legs up into bed and laid back. "When I get my fucking line, I'll call the fucking president if you want me to, Taz."

He came back in two quick steps, one hand around her throat, and lowered his face to hers. "When you make the fucking call I'll consider it. You wanna back chat me, you nasty fucking whore, I'll make sure this fucking face ain't gonna look nice on camera. Got it?" Lily swallowed, temper burning, but nodded. Taz released her, slapping her lightly again. "Make the fucking phone call."

Lily waited until he left her, dug the little card out, and looked at it properly for the first time. It was simple, really. His name, Scorpius Malfoy, stood out in bold, masculine lettering, and in a flowy font beneath, smaller, a single word. Filmmaker. There was a phone number and email address. The redhead pulled out her cell and dialed the unfamiliar number.

He picked up on the second ring, with an expectant, "Malfoy."

Lily panicked for a second, unsure what to say, then cleared her throat and said lightly, "I wanna be in your movie, Hollywood. Do I gotta sign some kind of waiver or some shit, or what?"

"If you're actually serious, meet me at the Brookside Cafe on Regency Street at eight tomorrow morning, and don't bring that piece of shit pimp. And try to be sober." He hung up on her and Lily's mouth dropped open. How dare he! How fucking dare fucking he!?

She went back out to the living room and told Taz what he'd said. Minus the piece of shit pimp part, because she didn't think he was her pimp and she definitely wasn't going to piss him off over it. Lily also refrained from mentioning the request for sobriety. There was no way she'd be coherent at that time of day without sniffing. "So make sure you set your fucking alarm," he said, and passed her his blunt even as there was a knock at the door. Her mouth tightened when he went to get it, and she slipped out of the living room when she saw his buddies come in. Lily knew from experience it was best to make herself scarce, locking her bedroom door. She might like Taz, for the most part, but she didn't like his friends, or the way they acted like she was a side perk of being friends with Taz.

XXX


	2. Chapter 2

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.

XXX

At eight oh five the next morning, Lily pushed into the little cafe, feeling tired, grouchy, and distinctly sober. And she didn't like that feeling. Taz had refused to get up to either drive her or hook her up with a line, so Lily had taken the bus, wishing death upon the happy, chipper morning people, trying to control her irritability.

She spotted the blond man immediately, at a table by the window, reading a newspaper, looking utterly bored and thoroughly awake. "Why you felt the urge to meet me at the fucking crack of dawn I'll never get," she said, taking the seat opposite him. He didn't look up from his paper.

"You're late."

She grit her teeth. "Blame the fucking bus driver. Or all the fucking people getting off and on all the fucking time." He finally put his paper down, looking at her intently and she stared back evenly. He wasn't bad looking, she mused, if a little too clean cut for her. Nice eyes, though. They were dark grey, intense, and unwavering, and she found herself shifting nervously under his scrutiny.

"Well at least you're sober." She glared, because it wasn't by choice, but he didn't seem fazed by it. If anything her temper seemed to amuse him. He pulled a sheaf of papers from a laptop bag under his seat and slid them toward her. "The top part is your contract. Pretty straightforward, you promise to tell the truth, I promise not to edit you to make you look awful, we both promise not to sue each other no matter what kind of movie gets made."

Lily sat back, looking at the table top. "Okay."

He slid the papers toward her. "Feel free to peruse it at your leisure," he said.

She picked it up, glanced vaguely at it enough to determine it was in Legalese, and shrugged. "I'll have my attorney take a look," she drawled sarcastically, itching for a cigarette.

"These are some of the introductory questions we'll be asking," he said, sliding another sheet of paper over. "And there's not really the option of not answering them, so I suggest you look them over very carefully."

Lily glanced at the paper, "Who's we?" she asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Lily almost giggled at that.

"You said we. Who else is included in the 'we' who's gonna be asking me shit?" She frowned at the sixth question. "And some of this shit's kinda personal."

"That's kind of the point," he drawled. "And by we I'm referring to the camera person, my Director of Photography. You'll meet him when we start filming." He drank some coffee. "And if you don't want to answer the question, I can't make you, but you'll be the third woman who's agreed to be filmed, and the other two didn't have qualms answering them."

Lily snorted. "Good for them." She personally had no intention of answering questions like 'When did you first become sexually active?' or 'How did you first start selling sex?' "So whenever you all start this shit, I'm not gonna be like followed around, am I?"

"Not indefinitely," he replied.

Lily rubbed her face, then reminded herself of the money. "Where do I sign?" she asked at last.

He handed her a pen, indicated where she should put her autograph on the contract thing, and then took the documents back. "You get to keep a copy," he said, putting the contract away and pulling out something else. "And now you get to fill this out."

Lily wanted to go home and crawl back into bed with the half empty bottle of tequila in her closet, but instead glanced over the questionnaire. "The fuck is this?" she muttered.

"Background information, contact information, basic medical history." Lily fiddled with the pen, glancing up at his steady dark grey gaze then back down, but clicked the pen and filled it out as much as possible. "Delightful," he said once she'd finished, taking the sheet back. It went into his bag with her contract. "Just out of curiosity, why did you agree? You seemed opposed to the notion yesterday."

Lily shrugged. "I like money." One blond eyebrow lifted ever so slightly, but the condescension was palpable to the redhead and she sneered. "I'd have thought that'd be pretty fucking obvious, all things considered."

"Well, if this turns out to be a beneficial arrangement, you can expect to make lots of it," he said blandly, and got up from the table. "We'll be in touch."

"Oh yes, have your people call my people," she said airily, unable to help feeling this man was judging her, deeming her unworthy. Lily didn't bother to call Taz to come pick her up, because she knew he wouldn't and she wanted time to think. She stopped in the park a few blocks away, looking of the list of questions again, shaking her head. Maybe she'd answer them after all, but certainly not the last one. There was no way she'd answer that shit, because she didn't have an answer for it. 'If you could, would you get out of the sex industry?'

By the time Lily got back to her apartment it was hot and sticky out, she was tired and sore from the night before still, and wanted to take a long hot bath. Instead, she walked into her apartment and found Taz flipping out. "Where the fuck you been?" he demanded.

"I went to that stupid movie bullshit," she said defensively.

Taz's lip curled. "Took an awful fuckin' long time, bitch. What were you sucking his cock or something?" She closed her eyes before rolling them.

"No. I had to fucking fill out paperwork and shit." She glanced over and saw Ty sitting in the living room, playing video games, a massive bruise darkening his creamy coffee coloured skin on one side of his face. "What the fuck happened to-?"

"Shut up, shut the fuck up!" Taz shouted and Lily bit her tongue. "Get your ass ready and get your fucking shit, we're going to Murphy."

Lily's lip curled. "I don't-" His hand closed around her throat, squeezing.

"Did I fucking stutter, bitch?" Taz growled. "No I fucking didn't. Get your shit. Now." He pushed her back as he released her and Lily gulped, falling back into the counter, but caught herself. When she reappeared from her bedroom a few minutes later, purse in the crook of her elbow, all dolled up, Taz was telling Ty to keep the blinds down and the door locked.

In the car, Lily lit a cigarette, wanting to ask but not daring. "How much cash you got?" he asked tightly. Lily pulled out her wad and tossed it to him.

"Almost three."

"Good," he grumbled. "Light me a smoke." She lit him a smoke and passed it as they got stuck in heavy morning rush hour traffic. "Son of a fucking bitch," Taz growled.

Lily rolled her eyes and put her heels up on the dash. "What happened to Ty?" she finally asked once traffic started moving again.

"Fucking bunch of little punks jumped him, took his fucking stash, and beat the shit outta him," Taz said darkly. Lily's mouth tightened but she didn't comment. "And I know exactly who those motherfuckers is, and I'm gonna be taking my shit back, plus interest." Lily privately thought that was why you didn't use sixteen year old kids to run your drugs and deal them to other kids, but kept her mouth shut.

"Does Murphy know we're coming?" she asked after awhile.

"Course he fucking does, bitch." Taz shot her a look then smirked, chucking her under the chin. "Why d'you think I dragged your ass with me? Murphy doesn't do spots and I ain't got the cash to re-up properly." Lily grit her teeth. "'Sides, Murphy likes you."

Lily snorted. "Everyone likes me," she said blandly. "I'm fuckin' popular like that and shit."

Taz grinned, then grabbed her hair roughly and pulled her to him and kissed her. "Damn right, bitch. Now play nice with Murphy when we get there and I'll make it worth your while."

When they did get to Murphy's, Lily played extra nice, even though inside she was shuddering with revulsion and wanted nothing more than to go home and bleach her mouth with alcohol. Murphy was a fat, white, middle aged redneck and professional middleman. He had three dogs that he starved and beat to keep mean and a wife who got the same treatment. Lily loathed him and his greasy hands and mouth and the rest, but did what she had to do.

An hour later they were headed back to the apartment, a large bag of coke in Taz's pocket. He threw a dime bag at Lily. "This is the last of Dave's shit. You did good, bitch."

"I know," she said, and tapped out a pile onto the center console. She snorted it just as they pulled up to a red.

"Are you fucking dumb, bitch?" Taz hissed. "There's a fucking cop across the lights. Sit the fuck up."

Lily sat back and lit a cigarette as her body jolted to life. "Whatever," she mumbled. The cop drove right past and Taz released a breath. Lily laughed. "You're so fucking paranoid, Taz. Fucking relax."

He shot her a filthy look. "Sure thing, cunt. When we get fucking pulled over, I'll be sure to drop my shit in your purse."

Lily picked at her nail. "I need to get my nails done, they look like shit," she said blandly.

"Ain't no niggas looking at your hands."

"Like you'd know," she shot back. "For all you know the niggas love my fucking hands. Which they do, because the niggas love all of me."

"Yo, watch how you just be tossing out the N word like that, bitch." Lily rolled her eyes. "I might let that shit slide 'cause you my bitch. Doesn't mean them other niggas will."

"Mmm," she replied, pulling off her cigarette.

"So when you start your movie shit?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. He said they'd 'get in touch'." Taz didn't look pleased by that. "Don't look at me, I'm just the dumb whore they wanna film and talk to." She pulled hard off her cigarette. "It's so fucking stupid, too. They got all these questions they want me to answer."

"Like what?"

"Dumb shit," she said, trying to recall. "Shit about feelings and shit. Do I fucking like being a fucking whore, do I think I deserve better and shit. Like, are they dumb? If I fucking thought I deserved better wouldn't I fucking still be at home with my fucking parents going to fucking college or whatever?"

Taz snorted. "Nah, you fucked that up real good, Lily." She shot him a furious look.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't get your fucking panties all up in twist, bitch, you know what I meant." Lily flicked her butt out the window. "You had the fucking life, handed to you on a fucking silver platter and everything, too. But you're a fuckin' coke whore, so you came down in the world."

"Fuck you, Taz, you don't fucking know shit, you dumb nigger," she snarled. He grabbed her roughly by the face but Lily slapped his hand away. "And don't pull your macho fucking bullshit with me. You don't know shit about my fucking life."

He grabbed the front of her shirt, hauling her in close. "I know you're a dumb fucking whore who'd rather lay on her back with her legs spread than live with mommy and daddy in their fancy fucking house wherever." She slapped him, and he slapped her right back. "You're so fucking lucky we're driving, bitch," he growled. "I'd fucking beat you senseless."

Lily glared. "Fucking do it. I fucking dare you. Remember what happened last time, motherfucker?" Her voice was low and deadly and he shot her a murderous look. "That's what I fucking thought. You might be the fucking man, but I'm not fucking stupid, Taz. I got fucking options."

"You got what the fuck I say you got." He pulled into their parking spot and grabbed her wrist before she could exit the car. "I'm fucking serious, Lily. Go to that old fucking man one more time, and I'll make sure you ain't gonna go nowhere again. Ever."

The redhead felt a stab of dread, but laughed. "Yeah right. Then who's gonna suck and fuck all the big black dick you got lined up for me, you fucker?"

Taz glared as they went in, but didn't comment. When they got upstairs, Lily did the rest of the dime bag and went for her bath at last. Taz came in before she finished, telling her to get out and go to her room. "And don't fucking bother putting clothes on," he added, walking out of the bathroom.

Lily dunked her head under water, wishing she had the balls to drown herself. Instead she sat up, dried off, and put some lotion on so she'd smell nice and be extra soft. She'd learned, through experience, most of her customers were just pathetic, lonely guys who liked to pretend she was more than a paid distraction from said loneliness. Sure, there were sleazy guys like Murphy and Tiny, who were just fucking nasty and had to pay a woman to do the shit they liked best, because no woman would do it for free, but on average, the guys were pretty decent.

She went to her room and waited and smiled a little when Joe came in. "Hey, Red," he murmured. She liked Joe. He was calm, easy going, permanently stoned on weed, and by and far the easiest regular john. He was also Taz's dealer, and the better she did for him, the better Taz's weed ended up being. And the better Taz's weed was, the chances of him not flipping out over every little thing increased.

"Hey, honey," she purred, and moved onto all fours on the bed. "Stressful week?"

Joe grinned lazily, "Never." She grinned back.

"So what are you in the mood for then, honey?"

"How 'bout you surprise me, Red."

Her smile widened. "You got it."

Two days later, Scorpius Malfoy, who Lily had taken to calling Hollywood in her mind, because he looked like he belonged there with all the plastic women and fancy shit, called her up for her first interview. "What time is best for you on Saturday?" Lily frowned, because Saturday nights were for going out on one-time jobs, usually two, maybe three, and she liked to take the afternoons beforehand to pamper herself a little. Get her nails done, go shopping, and occasionally hit up the salon for a wax and a massage. And after Friday nights, she was rarely conscious before noon.

"I guess like two. I doubt you fuckers wanna wait up for me to get off working." And Lily didn't want to show up to her interview smelling like some filthy man and looking like shit. She hadn't forgotten that very abrupt assessment he'd made of her in her own fucking kitchen and was determined to look damn good when she showed up.

"Then two it is. Meet us at the Grandview Hotel, room one sixteen," he said. "And keep in mind, being late will negatively affect the amount of money you make."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure thing, Hollywood. I'll be there."

She told Taz, who shrugged. "S'long as you don't give away any of the goods for free to the cracker, I don't fucking care, bitch," he mumbled.

Lily sat beside him on the couch. "I wanna get my nails done before I go." Taz snorted and smirked as if she was trying to be funny. "I'm serious, Taz. You want me showing up there looking like a nasty cheap hooker who sucks dick for a ten dollar bill?"

"I don't fuckin' care," he mumbled, puffing his blunt, then set it down in the ashtray. "Not like you're a high-priced escort or some shit."

Lily forced a shrug. "Whatever. Just don't bitch at me when business goes down 'cause you're too cheap to let your bitch look nice. Maybe it'll be some big fucking hit movie or some shit and I'll get famous. Imagine that. You could up the prices, even. Then again, probably not, if I look like a cheap, sleazy whore."

Taz glanced at her as though that had never occurred to him. "Fuckin' bitch," he muttered, but she knew she'd won him over when he added, "You got three jobs tonight anyway, so I guess."

She smiled. "Thanks, babe," she purred, sliding a hand up his thigh. His mouth quirked.

"That's not how a bitch says thank you properly," he said. Lily's hand roved over his crotch and his hand grasped her head, forcing it down. "You know how to thank me." Lily pulled his cock free of his pants, so large and lovely and very hard, and gave him her very best blowjob, enjoying the way he stroked and tugged on her hair, if not the bitter spunk she gagged on and then swallowed back. "Fuck, you're too good at that," he grunted.

Lily shrugged, licked her lips and lit a cigarette. "You love it."

"Nah, more like you just love my dick." She smirked a little and snuggled up to him, laying her head down on his lap. "Don't fucking fall asleep on me," Taz mumbled.

"I won't, Jesus fucking Christ. That happened one fucking time," she snarked back. "Fuck, you're an asshole." Taz grinned.

"You bet, bitch." There was a loud knock at the door and Lily frowned, because it sounded like banging. Taz dropped his video game controller, flipped the mirror with razor blades and coke on it over on the coffee table and lifted up the center cushion of the couch, stuffing his bag of cocaine in the hidden compartment inside the sofa as Lily walked slowly to the door. She knew the cop knock when she heard it.

She opened the door a tiny crack, the chain still in place. "What?" she said, looking at a guy in his mid thirties, dark hair, olive skin tone, and looking very much like he could have been in the Godfather with his sharp grey suit and black shirt.

"Where's Taz?"

Lily affected a confused expression. "Who?"

The man stared back at her steadily. "Don't play dumb with me, little girl. Go get Taz." He pulled a gun out of his jacket and suddenly Lily was staring down the barrel of it.

"He's not here," she said, her face paling and eyes going wide. "I swear to God, he's not here. He went to pick up."

The Italian guy smiled ever so slightly, hand holding the gun steady, and he cocked the hammer back. "Why is his car here? Last chance, girl. Go get Taz. Now."

She felt a jolt of adrenaline and shook her head. "I swear to God," she whispered, feeling close to hysterical, and a tear slipped out. "He's not here."

The man looked at her for a moment. "Open the door, then." She felt nausea spike and reached up with a trembling hand.

"I-I have to c-close the door to undo the-"

"Do it slowly, sweetheart." She did, very slowly, knowing Taz would be long gone down the fire escape by now and opened the door wide. The Italian guy still held the gun but it wasn't, thankfully, pointed in her face anymore. He did a quick search while she waited, rooted to the spot by the door and came back a few minutes later.

"I told you," she breathed. He looked at her sharply, half of his mouth tilting in a smile that didn't reach his dark eyes.

"When he gets back, you give Taz a little message from me. Can you do that, girl?" Lily nodded. The Italian guy took a step closer to her and she made to step back, but before she could, his hand had fisted in her long hair, holding her to him, and she tried not to breathe. "You tell Taz if he starts trying to branch out, he'll find himself pruned up before he knows it. And if he wants to keep his little flower looking pretty, he'll stick to what he does best." She felt fear, real, bone chilling, gut wrenching fear, because when he'd said 'little flower', he'd tugged at her hair significantly. "Do you think you can remember all of that, sweetheart?"

Lily swallowed past a bone dry throat. "Yes," she croaked.

The guy released her hair and stepped back, then reached up and held her face, pouting her lips with the force of his fingers and thumb on either of her cheeks. "Let's hope for your sake I don't have to come back, sweetheart. You won't like it." He released her roughly and walked out, closing the door softly behind himself and Lily stood there, trembling for a long moment.

She knew Taz wouldn't be back for awhile, so she went to the couch, pulled out his bag of coke and helped herself to a massive line, then put the shit back and went to her bedroom. When Taz did get back, he was looking sour-faced and grouchy.

"He touch the goods?" Taz demanded, filling her doorframe. Lily shook her head silently, trying to hold in the urge to cry. "What'd that motherfucker want?"

"He wants you to stick to what you do best and said if you tried to branch out, he'd prune you." She couldn't repeat the flower part. Her hand trembled just thinking it, hearing it again, and she ashed on the comforter on her bed.

"What a stupid sonofabitch," Taz growled. Lily looked up at him, temper rearing.

"A stupid sonofabitch who put a fucking gun in my face, Taz! Don't piss them off."

He sucked his teeth at her, irritating her. "Fucking calm down, bitch, ain't nobody getting popped 'round here." She pulled hard off her cigarette, then ground it out. "Get dressed, you got work to do."

He went back out and Lily got up, flicking the ash off her bed and went to her closet. There were a half dozen fingers of tequila left and she downed them, wishing she had more, but got dressed for working instead, spent some time on her hair and makeup, although it was usually for nothing, then grabbed her purse with a change of panties, her section of Slurpee straw, and a switchblade, just in case.

When she came out, Taz was doing deals, and Lily took the vacant armchair, lighting a cigarette that was instantly marked by her lipstick. "What're you waiting for?" Taz asked, weighing out a few grams to a junkie who watched closely, biting his thumb nail.

"You know what," she said lightly.

"You can have it when you get back." Her mouth hardened and she ground out her smoke, stood up, tugging her spandex red dress down and shrugged.

"If I come back," she tossed out, and slammed the door behind herself.

By Saturday morning, Lily was tired, cranky, and wanted to get high. Of course, her second john had been more than happy to hook her up, but his shit had been garbage, and even after three fat lines, Lily had been irritable and hungry for a real high. She didn't get home until almost three in the morning, but Taz was still up, one of his buddies playing video games with him.

"You get paid?" Taz hollered as she closed the door.

"No, I fucking forgot to mention it," she snarled. "Where's my shit?"

"Fuckin' coke whores, man," Taz's buddy, Eddie, mumbled. "Fuck yes, headshot, motherfucker!"

"You're tellin' me," Taz agreed. Lily narrowed her eyes and threw her earnings at Taz, who whipped a little baggie back at her. "Even worse when they're uppity coke whores."

Lily gave him the finger. "That's not nice," Eddie teased. "I got something you can ride if you like, Red."

"Too small for my taste, Eddie, I sniff lines bigger than your dick," she said, tapping out a line and sniffing it back. "Jesus fucking Christ that's good." She rubbed her nose, the delightful tickle and familiar taste calming her nerves.

"Yo, shut the fuck up, bitch," Eddie said, brows drawing together.

Half of Lily's mouth quirked. "Sorry Eddie, I forgot you're a bitch about your tiny white boy cock. My bad." Taz chuckled.

"You should fucking teach your bitch some manners, Taz," Eddie grunted. He died in the game and picked up the blunt from the ashtray.

"She got manners, right bitch?"

Lily rolled her eyes, measuring out another line. "Of course. I went to fucking finishing school and everything."

"Dumb white bitch," Eddie muttered. She snorted her line up the other nostril and lit a cigarette, feeling blissful.

"Yup, that's me," she murmured.

"Good thing you're gettin' a replacement," Eddie grumbled. Taz shot him a murderous look and Lily sat up.

"Come again?" she said sharply. "Replacement? A fucking replacement?" she shouted, standing up.

"You dumb fucker," Taz hissed. Eddie shrugged.

"What the fuck's that s'posed to mean, Taz? You gonna fucking try and replace me?" Lily demanded.

"Shut the fuck up," Taz said. "No one's gettin' replaced. You're just gettin' a roommate is all."

Lily stared. "Are you fucking shitting me? Over my dead fucking body."

Taz gave her a warning look. "That could be arranged. Sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up."

Lily scoffed, picked up her cocaine, and stalked back to her room. Replaced? Yeah the fuck right! She'd pack her shit and fucking leave first. She wouldn't share her room, her bed, or her man, with anyone else. Not now and not ever. And if Taz wanted to try, she'd drop him in a second.

Lily slept in later than she'd meant that morning, but got ready quickly after her shower, making sure her makeup and hair were on point, and headed out to get her nails done with the sixty bucks Taz had left on the coffee table beside a dime bag for her. After her nails were done, a dark purply shade that faded up the acrylic nail with hand-painted flowers on her ring fingers and thumbs and tiny jewels on her pinkies, she stopped at Starbucks for a latte she finished on the walk to meet Hollywood at the Grandview Hotel downtown. She knocked on the hotel room door, almost smiling because it wasn't the first time, nor would it probably be the last, she'd knocked on a door in this hotel for a very different reason. The door swung open and Lily almost choked.

Scorpius Malfoy was standing there, his white button down untucked from dark jeans, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the first few buttons undone. And with his hair slightly tousled, staring at her with those intense, dark grey eyes, he looked good. "Not going to lie, I expected you to be late," he said easily, opening the door wider and moving back as she crossed the threshold.

"Not gonna lie, I was tempted to do it on purpose," she shot back. "But I like money more than I like pissing in someone's Cheerios."

"No piece of shit pimp?" the blond drawled, closing the door.

"He's not my pimp, Hollywood." She breezed into the room and sat down on the edge of one of the two double beds. There was a short, swarthy man who looked at her with interest and she dismissed him with a flick of her hair.

"If you say so," Malfoy said easily. "This is John Salts, the camera guy."

"You have good bone structure," he said kindly. Lily lifted a brow.

"I know," she said cockily. "Can I smoke in here?"

Malfoy's mouth quirked. "According to city by-law, no." She sucked her teeth but shrugged. "Shall we get started?" Lily leaned back, watching Salts get his camera shit together, absently wondering how much it must cost. Probably lots. "If you could sit just there," Malfoy said, and pointed to one of the crappy chairs that seem to be a prerequisite for cheap hotel rooms that had been set up in front of an expanse of white wall.

Lily pursed her mouth, wondering how far she could push this man. "I would if I could smoke."

Salts and Malfoy exchanged a look. "Suit yourself," Malfoy said.

"Although the lighting is better there," Salts added, pointing to the chair. Lily smirked, because obviously these two underestimated her.

"Mmm, maybe. But this is way more comfortable." She crossed her legs, her right atop the left, shoe swinging lazily. The camera and sound equipment was set up and Lily suppressed the urge to excuse herself into the bathroom to get high.

"I'm going to assume you looked over the questions," Malfoy said as Salts did checks on the equipment.

"Sure did," she confirmed. Looked them all over and then forgot almost all of them, except the one she couldn't answer. "You didn't even ask my favourite colour."

Malfoy's mouth twitched. "I'll try to work that in."

"Good to go," Salts said at last, and Malfoy sat down in the chair she'd chosen not to sit in and Lily had to concede the lighting was better.

"Yippee," Lily murmured. "What am I supposed to say?" she asked.

"If you could introduce yourself, and give a little background. Age, how long you've been working your current profession, any drug or alcohol use you might partake in, why you think you wound up where you are today. Basic stuff."

Lily's brows both lifted and she snorted. "Alright then. I'm Lily, but I'm better known as Red. I'm twenty two. I've been fucking for money full time for six months. I like coke. Sometimes I drink. And I'm pretty sure I wound up here because you're paying me." She smiled.

"And?" Malfoy said, lifting that condescending eyebrow again.

"And?" she repeated. "What am I supposed to fucking say?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's your life."

"Oh, you want the life story, then?" she asked. "I'm definitely going to need a cigarette for that."

"Feel free to take a break outside," Malfoy said with a polite upturn to the corners of his mouth.

She was tempted to light up a smoke anyway but sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I guess I'll start at the beginning then. I have two older brothers, so I'm the youngest of three. My parents are wealthy. I had a good childhood. It was actually awesome, for the most part. I mean, I still have two older brothers." She smiled a tiny bit. "And then I sort of fell in with the bad crowd in high school and made lots of bad decisions, I guess." Her smile faded.

"Why?" Malfoy prompted.

She sent him a questioning glare. "Why what?"

"Why fall in with the wrong crowd? What was the catalyst for that?"

"None of your goddamn business," she growled. He held his palms up.

"Your life story. Go on with it."

Lily frowned, shifting her weight to one arm. "I met a guy in freshman year, an older guy, and we hooked up. He was the kind of guy my parents didn't like on principle, you know the type." She smirked. "The bad boy. He drank, he smoked weed, he smoked cigarettes, and he wasn't bad in bed. Though, of course, I was fourteen, so I thought it was great. I dated him most of freshman year. Until his girlfriend from college came home, anyway."

The redhead smirked, because she hadn't thought of Travis in forever. "So you became sexually active at fourteen?" he asked.

Her mouth hardened. "Yup."

"Do you regret that?"

She shrugged. "Can't change it either way."

"Go on."

Lily sat up properly. "After that guy, I went to the other end of the spectrum." Her mouth quirked up. "And I dated a really nice guy." She grinned, because she hadn't thought of Donovan in forever either. "And my parents loved him. Everyone loved him. But he went away to college, and I was just starting tenth grade at that point."

"Did you sleep with the nice guy?" She sent Malfoy a speculative look.

"What do you think?"

His broad shoulders lifted into a shrug again. "Probably."

She smiled. "You bet. And he was great. All milk chocolate muscle. My favourite."

The blond eyebrow lifted again. "You have a preference for black men?"

"Hell yes," she replied. "In my experience, the stereotype is mostly true. Bigger dicks." She thought, briefly, of Tiny and frowned, suppressing a shudder. "Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, tenth grade." She smirked. "I dated lots of guys in tenth grade."

"How many?"

"Like, at least fifteen." She frowned and tried to count on her fingers, feeling certain she'd missed some. "And lots of one night stands. I was drunk a lot back then."

"And you were how old?"

"Fifteen. I used to steal from my parents' liquor cabinet until they started locking it." Lily grinned. "And the whole time they figured it must be my older brothers, who did their fair share of partying, especially Al, so I never even got caught."

"Did you still attend school?"

"Yup. Every day. And I partied almost every night. I mean, obviously, there were a lot of blackout nights, but on the whole, that was pretty fun. Then when I was sixteen I met a guy who was older, like way older. It was kind of weird." She blushed. "I mean, he wasn't like a fucking creeper or anything, but he was nice, and I'd hang out with him sometimes, on his porch, 'cause he lived around the corner from us." Lily fiddled with the bottom hem on her black denim shorts. "I came home drunk one night, and he was outside, so I stopped to say hi. And he was like, super nice, right? And the guy I went on a date with got shitfaced and passed out at a party, so when he started touching me I didn't stop him. And after we fucked he gave me this super fancy necklace."

"How did that make you feel?"

Lily looked up, startled, because she'd started to get wrapped up in the memories. "I felt great," she lied easily. "I had mediocre drunk sex and got a really nice present after." Her mouth curved into the seductive smile she'd perfected for her customers. "And that was the first trick I ever turned, although I honestly didn't realize it at the time. I just thought he liked me. So I took it."

"Did you continue to exchange sex for material goods?"

Lily sighed. "Not really. I went on a date with a guy who did coke, and that's most of what eleventh grade was. Hanging out with other coke heads, sweet talking my parents into giving me money so I could get high with whichever guy I was seeing."

"Were you still drinking at that point?" Malfoy asked, and she noticed he'd been taking notes.

"Oh yeah. It was the only way to sleep after binging on coke for days. And then, right before the end of eleventh grade, my parents found out."

"And they were upset?"

"Fuck yeah, they were fucking furious. They flipped right the fuck out." Lily smirked. "They sent me to rehab. And 'cause I wasn't eighteen, I didn't have a choice, but I did it. I was clean for…" Lily thought back to senior year. "Shit, almost a year. But yeah, pulled my grades up, graduated and shit, and then, at prom, I started drinking again. And the drinking lead to other shit. Smoking weed, lots of weed, going to parties. And then I went to college and started dating a coke dealer." Once again, Lily glossed over the facts she refused to talk about, like she had about her sudden change at the onset of high school.

"And you relapsed?"

Lily smirked. "No. Not right away, anyway. That's when I started doing the odd favour for a lonely dude in return for some cash. I was still drinking lots. Too much. I skipped class all the time, hanging out with bad influences and shit. I relapsed after Christmas that year." The redhead couldn't hold back the smile at the word relapse. It sounded so fucking serious. Like now she was dying, a lost cause. Like terminal. It's a relapse, and it's terminal. She almost laughed out loud.

"Why?"

"Big fight with my family. I was drunk and I brought some shitty guy I'd been fucking on the side from my boyfriend. My dad caught us smoking a joint at the end of the driveway." She kept her tone bored, impersonal, but recalling the look on his face was painful. Lily pushed down the memories of that night and swallowed thickly. "After I got home, I snorted a line, got beyond fucking high, and fucked the shit out of my boyfriend."

"And how did you meet your pimp?" Malfoy asked after a long pause.

Lily glared. "Are you fucking deaf or just retarded?" She pushed an edgy hand through her hair. "Taz isn't my fucking pimp."

Scorpius smirked. "Right. How did you meet Taz?"

"I'm going for a smoke," Lily said, and stood up, snatching up her purse and stalking out. What a fucking prick that slick Hollywood bastard was! There was no fucking way Taz was her pimp. Sure, he might pick out her johns, and schedule her appointments, but there was no way… No! There was no way. Taz was her boyfriend, damn it! They lived together, they fucked, they shared almost everything. "Fucking stupid cracker," she muttered, pulling her lighter out and sucking in nicotine gratefully as she got outside.

Lily was half tempted to just walk away, right then, but the lure of the damnable money, that check in her name, curbed the urge. So she puffed furiously on her cigarette, crushed it out, and then went back, telling herself firmly if he fucking said pimp one more time, she was donesies. She paused outside the door, which was just closed over as opposed to closed and paused, hearing the two men inside talking.

"She's not gonna give it up, Malfoy. I'm telling you, the last two were anomalies."

"It takes time, Salty, you know that." Lily's brows pulled together. "Would you spill your deepest, darkest secrets to a stranger?" There was an answering snort. "Exactly. You just make sure the shots are good."

Salts snorted again. "Not hard this time," he said. "Girl's face was made for a camera." Lily felt a smug glow of pride at that.

"Maybe," Malfoy said with astounding dismissal. "It would look better if she wasn't half starved and coked out, but…" The redhead felt her temper bubble up and over and took a deep breath, then pushed back into the room.

Lily breezed past Malfoy, eyes hard. "I just have to use the restroom, and I'll be good to go, boys," she drawled, then locked herself into the little room with dingy cream and puke green tiling. She set her purse on the vanity, pulled out her stash, and tried to control the shaking of her hands and the blazing anger. Three minutes later, after a sniff, a flush and hand wash, because if you're going to fake something, fake it properly, she glared at her reflection in the mirror.

Her face was a little thinner than it had been in, say, high school, sure. But she was a far cry from half starved. She adjusted her boobs and went back out, feeling the tense atmosphere, but pretended she was oblivious and sat down on the bed again. "So what now?" she asked. "You wanna know how I met Taz?"

"Sure," Malfoy said, sitting back in his well-lit chair.

"I was twenty one. I'd been living with this guy, a little older, who's a real sweetheart but wrong for me in every way. Anyway, I wanted to score, but my dealer was on vacay, so I went to a friend of a friend of a friend. That guy was Taz. I got my shit, got high, and he asked if I was down to fuck. The rest, as they say, is history."

Malfoy made a note to himself. "And you say Taz isn't your pimp." It wasn't a question but she answered it anyway.

"Of course not. For one, I don't need no pimp. For two, he has his own illustrious career selling blow. And for three, I wasn't even tricking full time when I met him."

The blond brow went up, and then Malfoy tossed a dictionary onto the bed beside her. "Can you just read me the definition under 'pimp' then?"

Lily shot him a filthy look. "Really? Wow, whatever," she drawled, but picked up the stupid dictionary and flipped through to the P section. She found pimp no problem and looked at the definition.

"If you could read it out loud," Malfoy said, sounding smug. Lily blinked, still staring at the page.

She wet her lips. "A man who controls prostitutes and arranges clients for them, taking all or part of their earnings in return." She forced herself to get mad, even though part of her felt sick and a larger part felt the urge to cry.

"Thank you," Malfoy said politely. The redhead threw the dictionary at him.

"Go fuck yourself," she snarled.

There was a pause. "Would you like to continue?"

Lily folded her arms, mouth set. "Sure," she said icily. "What would you like me to say? How 'bout, 'You're a huge fucking prick who probably has a tiny one in his pants and I don't fucking care what you think, 'cause Taz ain't my fucking pimp', got it?"

"Does he arrange your clients?"

"So? So what if he does? He knows like a million people, how the hell else am I supposed to know who's down to fuck and who's gonna put a fucking knife at my throat or some shit?" The first time she'd picked her own john after hooking full time, that had happened. And after that terrifying experience, she'd believed Taz when he said if she stuck to the ones he picked, she'd be safe. Because, for the most part, she was.

"Does he get a cut of your earnings?"

Lilt grit her teeth, because Taz got all her earnings. He kept her in cigarettes and blow and, when she had the odd extra job, he'd let her keep the money, but nine times out of ten, her earnings went to his pockets. But she knew if she had that kind of cash laying around all the time, too, she'd spend it and be flying for days. Taz had said that too. That it was better for him to hold onto her money and the drugs, that she'd go crazy and probably sniff too much and overdose herself. Or, worse, she'd get jumped with a whole night's wages and all her coke and be utterly fucked. It had made so much sense at the time.

"Should I assume that's a yes?"

"Fuck you, I'm not listening to this shit," Lily growled, getting up. "This is bullshit. You want me to talk about my life and shit? Fine. But I didn't sign up for some kind of stupid pretentious intervention shit. And now I'm pissed off because you fuckers conned me. I thought I was s'posed to be telling my life story and shit, but you just had to keep pushing it, didn't you, Hollywood? Well, since you're so fucking smart, think about this fuck face. I fucking live, breathe, and eat this life and you probably go home to the fucking suburbs, so if you think you know everything, go fuck yourself. When you admit maybe, just fucking maybe, you're not as smart as you are slick and that you don't fucking know shit, lemme know. Until then, you can choke on a big fat dick, asshole."

She slammed out of the hotel room, feeling beyond pissed and furious. She took a deep breath, then lit a smoke in the hallway. By the time she'd stomped two blocks away, her anger had been sapped and she felt weak and sick. She'd never thought about it before. It had always just made sense that Taz was in control of things. It was easier that way, less worry. She went where he said to go, slept with the johns he told her to sleep with, and gave him the money she literally sold herself for. And in return he kept her in coke and whatever else she might need. She felt stupid, idiotic, and far worse than she'd accused Malfoy of being, because she'd actually believed they were dating.

By the time she dragged herself up to her apartment, she wanted to do as many lines as possible, get the vodka out of the freezer, and hide in her room under the covers. She dropped her purse on the counter beside the fridge and pulled her bottle out, hand fisted around the neck. Taz was doing deals in the living room and she felt a wave of something like depression sag her shoulders, dropping her head backward, and her eyes filled up with tears. She bottled her emotions and unscrewed the cap on her vodka, taking a long pull straight from the bottle.

She winced and gagged at the burn, but pushed through for another. In no time she'd numb herself to the knee-jerk reaction. Lily waited until the junkies left to join Taz on the couch. Her bottle was still held in her fist, but she was feeling decidedly more numb from the bothersome, unruly emotions.

"What's with the bottle?" Taz asked, smirking, putting his blunt between his lips. "And what time's it?"

Lily shrugged. "Dunno what time it is. The bottle is to celebrate."

"The fuck you celebrating?" Taz grumbled.

She took a long pull. "I'm done with that stupid fucking movie bullshit. Fuck that."

Taz put his blunt down. "Says who?"

"Says me, fuckwad," she ground out, and lit a cigarette. Taz snatched it out of her mouth and put it in the ashtray.

"No. You're making a fuck ton of money just by sitting on your ass, flappin' your lips. You're gonna do it 'til those fuckers says you're done."

She narrowed her eyes. "Oh yeah?" she drawled, and took another sip of vodka. "And you're gonna make me?"

"If I fuckin' have to." The threat was there, in the tone of his voice and the downward tilt to his eyebrows.

"Is that 'cause you're my pimp?" she drawled, watching his reaction closely.

Taz snorted. "Who says that?"

"Apparently the dictionary," she retorted. "Are you?"

"Am I what, bitch?"

"My fucking pimp, you stupid fucker!" she snapped. "Jesus fuck, pay attention, Taz!"

"If I was your pimp, bitch, I'd've fuckin' slapped you for that." He tossed his controller aside, and turned to her, smiling a little. "And if I was your pimp, I sure as fuck wouldn't be skimmin' off the top of my own profits, now would I, bitch?"

She looked at him, trying to determine if he was playing her or not. Taz leaned in, put a hand gently on the side of her face and stroked down, holding her throat almost tenderly, thumb tracing a small circle, whisper soft, over her windpipe. "Guess not," she whispered.

"Course not, Lily," he said, and kissed her. "You're my bitch, not my 'ho. Big difference." His hand moved away and he lifted the frosty bottle from her grasp, setting it on the coffee table. "And if you was my 'ho, I sure as fuck wouldn't wait for you to come all over my dick before I busted a nut in that puss, would I?"

Lily felt her heart rate start to kick up as his hand smoothed up the inside of her thigh. "No," she said quietly, smiling a little, the vodka making her brain feel fuzzy.

He kissed between her breasts, then up her neck. "You wanna do a line and fuck?" he rumbled, already undoing her shorts.

"Yeah," she breathed, letting her hands move over his shoulders. "Fuck yeah, babe," she added with more enthusiasm as he bit her neck, just over her pulse point. He tipped her out a generous pile of coke and she did her line, bent over the coffee table as he pulled her shorts and panties off. And then Lily turned around, sat on his dick, and they fucked, and the redhead told herself Hollywood was a fucking idiot. Obviously Taz wasn't her pimp. Pimps didn't skim profits by fucking their whores. And they sure as hell didn't care if their whores enjoyed sex. But that wasn't Taz. And when she came all over him, moaning loud and filled to the brim, she met his eyes and felt another blast of ecstasy when he flashed the trademark grin and thrust one last time before losing himself.

XXX


	3. Chapter 3

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.  
Also, to 'thereviewer' (I can't reply directly, so I hope you see this) Really? Only 143 fucks? I counted 147. Luckily this chapter I'm pretty sure there's less...but not by much. :)

XXX

Lily got a call from Malfoy early the next morning, which she wasn't conscious to receive, but when she listened to the message on her way back to her apartment from her last job, sore and exhausted but her john satisfied and sleeping, she smirked.

"I'd like to apologize for how our last meeting ended. It's neither my place, nor my job to tell you how to live your life or decide what labels you put on people. For that I'm sorry. If you're still interested, we'd like to set up another interview. Get back to me as soon as possible and let me know." Of course he'd come crawling back. She was obviously in the right and he obviously saw that now. And she did have excellent fucking bone structure and shit. His movie would undoubtedly look like shit without her.

When she got into her apartment, Ty was there, with some ragamuffin little girl, and Taz was weighing out dime bags for sales. "You get paid?" he demanded. She dropped her cash into his lap. "Good. Sit the fuck down." She wanted to go shower, but sat, lighting a cigarette, glaring at the little girl who looked insolently back at her.

"The fuck you looking at?" she snapped after a moment. She was edgy as fuck, and anxious, and irritable to the extreme.

"Relax, Red, she's not your replacement," Ty said slyly. Taz smacked him upside the head.

"Then tell the baby to look at the fucking floor," Lily growled, pulling hard off her smoke. "Unless she wants my fucking foot stomping her face into it first."

The girl rolled dark eyes. She was obviously Latina, all curves and pouting mouth, with her dark hair swirled haphazardly atop her head. "This bitch gonna be your protege," Taz said.

"My what?" she snapped.

"Did I fucking stutter? Your protege, bitch. Your student, your fucking pupil. You gonna teach her how to whore."

"She's the fuckin' Padawan to your Jedi mastery," Ty said, grinning. Lily had no clue what the fuck that meant.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yeah the fuck right. She's what, fourteen?"

"Fifteen," the girl said. Lily narrowed her eyes.

"Go home, sweetheart. I'm not fucking training no babies. 'Sides, how hard can it be to learn how to fuck?" Taz patted her thigh and she looked at him. His face held the warning look.

"You ain't gotta hold her fuckin' hand. You teach her the tricks of the business, bitch," he said, then grinned. "And we get our cut from her profits." Ty frowned a little.

"Who the fuck's gonna sleep with a baby?" Lily grumbled, even if it seemed like an outrageously easy way to make some money. The girl gave her a dirty look. "Yeah I'm fuckin' talking about you, bitch. Lesson one, baby Lolita, don't fucking give me that sideways fucking look like you some hot shit."

"Calm the fuck down, you gonna scare the bitch," Taz said, patting her thigh again. He held out a dime bag. "You're gonna teach her, and that's that."

"Fine," Lily said, tipping out enough to do a line. "She doesn't touch my shit, she doesn't look sideways at me, and she doesn't talk back." Lily snorted her line, sniffling a little as she sat back pulling off her cigarette. "You got that, bitch? Or you want me to fucking write it down?"

"I got it," the girl said, eyeing up Lily's coke.

"Look at the fucking floor," she snapped.

"You's a fucking psycho, Red," Ty muttered.

"Shut up, little man, or you gonna see the psycho bitch." Taz handed the two dozen dime bags over. "I wanna see a good fucking profit on this, don't be giving no deals. And keep that mini bitch on a tight leash, got it? You advertise, and that's it, until Red's got her good to go."

"Yeah, yeah," Ty mumbled. "C'mon, bitch," he said to the girl, who followed him to the door.

"And tell her put some fucking makeup on," Lily called over. "She looks fucking twelve." Ty flipped her off and the door closed behind them. "I don't wanna train no fucking mini whores," she said to Taz.

"Too fuckin' bad. And you're gonna be glad you did when the cash comes rolling in." Lily's lip curled.

"Fucking gross, she's a fucking baby. I hope you aren't gonna send her out to grown ass men." Taz frowned. "That shit's fucked, Taz, and extra fucking illegal. You'll go to prison until you're an old fucking man for that shit, you get caught."

"She ain't my mini whore, she's Ty's. He likes her, thinks she got potential." Lily rolled her eyes, finishing her cigarette. "He ain't wrong, bitch. Little training and she'll be almost as good as you."

The redhead laughed at that. "Not even fucking close, Taz," she said, setting up another line. "I'm like this fucking pile of blow. Pale as fuck and easy to get hooked on. Expensive and classy. That girl's nasty hash. Might make you feel alright for a bit, but easy to drop and cheap as fuck. Tell Ty to find a classy bitch, not some fuckin' dirty immigrant." She snorted her line with a rolled up twenty and felt back to normal. Euphoric and calm.

Taz laughed, grabbed her hair, and kissed her hard. "We'll see, bitch. Now get the fuck outta here, you stink."

"Fuck you, motherfucker," she replied, but went to go shower anyway.

She called Malfoy after her shower. "Apology accepted, Hollywood. When you wanna chit chat next?"

"Do you have time today?"

"Sure. You all got time now?" she asked, knowing there was always the chance of an afternoon job before Tiny that night.

"We make time. Noon at the park downtown, near the fountain?"

"Works for me." She hung up on him, recalling the time he'd done so to her with a vicious stab of pleasure, then got dressed and padded out to the living room. Taz was dealing for a pair of junkies and Lily rolled her eyes as they huddled and counted out their ones for their score. Taz merely puffed on his blunt.

"Get me something to eat," Taz called, glancing over.

"Like what?" she asked, doubting there was anything edible in the house.

"Like food, bitch, what you think?"

"I gotta go out for food, then, so give me money." She moved to the couch, leaning over the back for a cigarette from the pack on the side table.

"You gonna put some real fucking clothes on?" Taz grumbled, as the junkies handed over their money and Taz gave them their dime bag. He tossed some cash at her.

"Nope." She grabbed the cash and jammed it into her bra, which was clearly visible through her translucent tank top, and kissed Taz's cheek as the junkies hustled out to get high.

"Then you gonna wait 'til them cokehead crackers get the fuck outta here before you go," he said. Lily rolled her eyes, because Taz was fucking paranoid and too overprotective.

"Or you could just pick up the phone and order some fucking pizza and I'll go and meet with Hollywood and his camera guy to make some money," she said, glancing at the time on her cell. It was already quarter after eleven.

"Bitch, if I fucking wanted to do that, I'd have fucking done that," Taz growled. Lily gave him the seductive smile, leaning over the back of the couch still, pushing her tits out.

"I know. But the stupid cracker motherfucker said if I'm late for his stupid shit he's gonna take money off. And I wanna make you lots of money, for your investments and shit." The lie came out easy as pie, because she was keeping the whole fucking check for herself.

"That's 'cause you're not as dumb as you look," Taz said smugly, and although she was tempted to smack him for that, she turned her face into his neck.

"Course not, babe. I wouldn't be with you if I wasn't smart, at least a little." She bit him lightly, because she knew he liked it, and he grunted. She slid a hand down his chest. "So can I have some blow to go?"

"No." She pouted, hand undoing his belt.

"Please?" she purred, and bit his neck again. "I can ask like a good coke whore if you want me to," she murmured, leaning over further. "You know I love sucking that big, tasty black cock."

Taz grunted, then swatted her hand away. "Thought you was gonna be late, bitch?"

"I can be late if you want," she said, undeterred. She stroked his half hard dick through his jeans. "You don't even have to give me anything, I just really wanna suck your cock." He turned his head to look at her and she smiled. "Please?"

"Fucking slut," he rumbled, and pulled her bodily over the couch. "Suck my dick first, bitch, then you can have your fix."

Lily smirked and took his prick out, going to work as he gripped fistfuls of her hair and thrust up into her mouth aggressively. She did two big lines in a row after and headed out, the cash still tucked in her bra. She might be a dumb coke whore, but she wasn't fucking stupid.

She spotted Hollywood easily, even though there were lots of people at the park, because his hair shone whiter than her legs in the sun, and the camera guy, Salts, looked like a total nerd with his equipment. She didn't take off her sunglasses when she drew up to the men, but hooked her thumbs in her pockets eyes covertly roving over Malfoy in his grey t-shirt, a few shades lighter than his eyes, but fitted and decidedly soft looking. Lily smirked a tiny bit, because she bet he'd be better looking without the shirt. "I hope you're not gonna be filming me wandering around the fucking park with people pushing babies and kids and shit."

Malfoy's mouth went up a tiny bit at the corners. "Not today." He pointed to a cluster of trees across a large expanse of grass with a little sitting area. "Just over there I think is far enough away from the impressionable youth."

Her eyes narrowed, because his eyes flicked pointedly to her tank top. "Sure thing, Hollywood." His gaze dropped to her strappy, three-inch stilettos. "And if you're gonna ask if I can walk in these shoes, save it. I'm a fucking professional."

She started ahead of him and Salts, supremely confident, but Malfoy kept pace with her evenly. "Can I ask why you keep calling me Hollywood?" he asked, smirking a little.

"Course. I thought that's what you did? Asked all the questions and shit." She pulled a cigarette from the pack in her purse and lit it up, pushing her hair out of her face. "And I call you Hollywood, 'cause you're making a fucking movie. And you look like you belong there."

"Fair enough," he said easily. Lily sat down on a bench that had been donated to the park as a memorial for some dead person, and put a shoe up. Malfoy sat beside her, pulling out his notebook and Salts pointed a camera at her as she smoked. "So last we talked you were at the part where you relapsed after Christmas."

"This shit again?" she drawled.

"You bet. There's a definite time gap from then to when you met your Taz." She frowned, flicking her ash harder than necessary.

"Fair enough," she said, reminding herself of the money. Lily thought back. "I ditched the boyfriend in the new year," she said. "He got possessive and didn't like me screwing for money after he found out I'd been fucking people on the side for free, too." She flashed a brief smile, then took a drag off her smoke. "When he found out he flipped his shit."

"Was he abusive?" Malfoy asked softly.

Lily shrugged. "He smacked me around a little, but only when he was drunk. And I probably deserved most of it. Anyway, I was flunking out of my classes, and by the end of the semester, they kicked me out. My parents were mad, 'cause they'd dropped the money for me to go to college in the first place, but I got a job as a waitress, so they weren't too pissed." She smirked. "They thought I was still going through my rebellious phase. And that's how I met the guy I was seeing before I met Taz. He used to come into the restaurant all the time, always sat in my section, tipped amazing. He was older, but not by too much, and he was so sweet, so when he asked me out, I said sure."

"Was he into drugs?"

"No. Not even a little. He didn't even drink. But he didn't mind that I did. Like I said, he was actually a sweetheart."

"Why didn't that work out?"

Lily grinned, flicking her cigarette butt. "He was too nice. I mean, don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing, but he's like, in love with me, and I'm not really looking for what he wants. And his dick's pretty small, to be honest."

"You still keep in contact with him?"

"Uh huh. Anyway, after I met Ian, everything was cool for awhile. I even brought him 'round to meet my parents, and of course they thought I was going to settle down and shit." She pushed a hand through her hair. "But like I said, Ian wants what my parents have. House in the 'burbs, two point five kids, white picket fence, all that lame shit. But I wanted to party still. So I started seeing other people."

"And he was okay with that?"

The redhead snorted, put her foot down and crossed her legs. "He takes what he can get. I don't think he liked it, but I was still staying over at his place and shit sometimes. I wanted to keep him as cover for my parents, 'cause I was still living with them. They thought I was doing better after the Christmas thing, getting my act together."

"And how old were you at this point?"

"Nineteen. So it was all cool for a bit. I did my thing, everyone was chill, and then one night, when my parents made me have Ian over for Sunday dinner not too long after my twentieth birthday, my mom walked into the bathroom and found me snorting lines off the vanity." Her mouth twisted in a bitter smile. "And then all Hell broke loose."

"What happened?"

"My mom and dad kicked me out, my brother James told me he didn't ever want to talk to me again, and my other brother Albus kept trying to talk me into going to rehab, but I didn't wanna do that."

"And Ian?" Malfoy pressed.

"I moved in with him. He was cool about it, took my side. I mean, I was an adult at this point, right?"

"So your family turned their backs on you?"

Lily shrugged, because that sounded awful, but it wasn't untrue. "Sorta. I still talked to my mom and we'd sometimes hang out and shit. And I was still holding down my waitress job. My dad and James turned their backs. Albus I just ignored, 'cause he kept talking about rehab and shit."

"Then what happened?"

"I lost the waitress gig. Too many lates and missed shifts from partying until dawn, getting high and drinking."

"And you still lived with Ian?"

Her mouth quirked. "Kinda. I mean my mail went there, but I wasn't around much. I was passing out on people's couches and shit, but he'd always be there to come pick me up, or loan me money after I lost my job."

"So he's an enabler?"

"With a fuckin' capital E," she agreed, smirking. "But it's 'cause he's in love with me. And I mean, really, who wouldn't be? I'm pretty fucking awesome." She shifted on the bench, resting an elbow along the back. "Then I met a guy who managed a strip joint, so I started stripping. And fuck me, did I ever make a lot of money compared to waitressing. Like on a good weekend night, I'd have six hundred bucks just for shaking my tits at lonely perverts. It was great. So I ditched Ian, and moved in with the strip joint manager."

The blond eyebrow lifted. "Were you still turning tricks?"

"Um, not really." Lily thought back. "I mean sometimes. You know, the odd customer who wanted an extra special lap dance for a bunch of extra cash, but not much more than that. My boss was a really good lay, so I stuck with him for the most part for sex. I was with him for six months, and then he started hooking up with another one of the dancers. I got jealous. She was a nasty bitch, anyway, and I never liked her."

"How did that relationship end?"

"Bad," she said shortly. "He beat the crap outta me after I snapped when I found out he was fucking Claudia, and all I remember is calling my mom, tasting blood, and a really hot paramedic."

"What were you injuries?" he asked, tone flat and mildly apologetic.

"Two broken ribs, broken nose, and a pretty bad concussion." Lily shrugged. "It wasn't as bad as you'd think, I just looked like I got hit by a truck after. But they gave me some decent pain meds." She frowned a little, because the pain meds had been too good. "The only downside was my mom had a mental breakdown. 'Cause I guess she found me all beat up, and at the hospital they told her when they ran tests and shit I was high on coke." She sucked in a breath. "She had to stay in a psych ward or some shit for a few months. My brother Albus stopped talking to me after that. Him and James told me it was all my fault and to stop using drugs 'cause it wasn't just fucking up my life anymore." She frowned at that memory.

"But you didn't."

She lit another smoke. "Obviously. I didn't want to stop using. I don't want to stop using. Being high is fucking great, and coke makes you feel like you can do everything. I ended up moving back in with Ian. And then I met Taz."

"You said before you weren't full time when you first got together with him. How did that change?"

Lily sucked in some cancer. "I was stripping again. After my face got fixed and shit. Even though they hate me, my parents still paid for me to see a plastic surgeon and get my nose fixed after it was broken. And I was back doing coke on the regular. When I met Taz, it was like the perfect set up. I left Ian again, for Taz, and moved into his place. A couple months or so after we hooked up, we had a shit ton of people over, and this one guy kept asking me for a lapdance and shit, 'cause he knew I stripped. Taz said I should give him one if he was gonna pay for it. And from there it turned into more than just lapdances for cash when I wasn't on stage. But I got fired from the strip joint when I started missing shifts and shit. So I just started hooking full time. I make more money that way anyway."

"Speaking of your work, would you like to share some of the specifics?"

Her brows furrowed. "Like what?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Like anything. The average person doesn't have a clue what being a prostitute is like. Enlighten them."

Lily took a long drag from her smoke. "Oh, it's the best," she said sarcastically. "Seriously, what d'you want me to say?"

"How many customers would you say you average a week?"

"Three regulars, every week, one guy twice a week and then there's some that only come round once or twice a month or so, so sometimes up to six, and like four or five on weekends. Friday and Saturday nights. Those are my outgoing jobs, the weekends. They're set up back to back. The regulars come to me." She finished her smoke. "And there's the odd time I'll hook for straight drugs as opposed to the cash. I mean, like, if Taz needs to re-up, but we're low on funds, I'll trade my services for some blow or whatever." She repressed a shudder, because if it was Murphy, it was barely worth it. He was a nasty motherfucker.

She saw his mouth purse and could practically read his thoughts and dared him to bring it up again. "And how much do you make?" he murmured. She frowned a bit.

"Depends. It's two hundred to fuck. A hundred to suck. If you want more than one go, or have me stay the night, it's four."

"Who decides those prices?"

"I do," she said aggressively, and, although he wasn't looking at her directly, as he took his notes, he smiled a bit.

"And how much does your habit run you?"

She smirked. "Which one?"

"The cocaine."

"Probably a couple hundred bucks a day. When I was younger it was worse. Probably closer to three." She didn't add it would be just as bad if not even worse now if she didn't have Taz holding the bag.

"And your other habits?"

"Mmm, liquor is cheap and I'm less of a lush now. I dunno, maybe a quart or two a week?" She put her foot up again, feeling hot and irritable now, pushing her hair to one side off the back of her neck. "And I guess I smoke weed, but not a lot. That's Taz's thing, not mine."

"Who is Taz to you?"

She frowned, wondering if he was hinting at the pimp thing again. "What d'you mean?"

"What do you call him if you have to refer to him without a name?"

Lily shrugged. "He's my man. I don't fuckin' know." Malfoy opened his mouth to say something else, but then her cell rang. She dug it out of her purse and glanced at the display. "Speak of the devil. Hey," she said as she picked up.

"Where the fuck you at, bitch?" Taz grouched.

"I'm at the fucking park downtown, making Oscar winning shit, what d'you want?"

"Then go walk that skinny white ass to the Broad Street exit, bitch. You got work and I'm on my way."

"Bye," she said and hung up. "Duty calls, Hollywood. I gotta ditch." Lily stood up, put her purse in her elbow and smirked. "Am I s'posed to call you when I have a minute?"

Malfoy shrugged. "If that works for you, sure."

"Cool. Bye." She strode away, power walking as she normally did, and lit another smoke, itching to get into Taz's car to sniff again. Five minutes later she saw him idling down the block and hurried over.

"Sup, Red," said Ty from the backseat and Lily glanced over her shoulder to find him and the mini 'ho.

"The fuck are the children here for?" she asked as Taz pulled into traffic and she dug in her bag for her coke. She measured out a pile on the center console and sniffed it back, then did another one in her other nostril.

"Fuck you, Red," Ty muttered. She smirked.

"You wish, kiddo," she shot back, relaxing into the seat, and put her feet up on the dash.

"The little bitch is coming for a lesson." Lily's lip curled and Taz reached over, holding her face firmly. "And you ain't gonna say a fuckin' word about it."

She cast him a filthy look, then looked at the mini bitch through the rearview mirror when he released her. "The fuck's your name, bitch?"

"Carla."

Lily snorted. "No, that's fucking awful. You can be Baby, 'cause you're a little baby. Got it?"

"Uh huh."

Lily's eyes narrowed and she sucked her teeth, looking at her nails, frowning at the one pinkie where the jewel chipped off. "You do drugs, Baby?" she drawled. Taz flashed the warning look but Lily smirked.

"Sure," the girl said.

"What kind d'you like best?"

"Pain pills."

Lily's brows shot up and she cast Taz a dubious look. "You're gonna wanna pick something to perk you up a little more. You fall asleep, you don't get paid, or worse, you get robbed, Baby."

"Such a good bitch," Taz said smugly, rubbing a hand up her thigh. "Teaching the skills and shit."

"More like common fuckin' sense," Lily said.

"She likes all drugs," Ty said from the backseat. "Right, bitch?"

"Uh huh."

The redhead snorted, pushing a hand through her hair. "Where are we going?" she murmured to Taz, whose hand was still on her thigh.

"Home. Deshawn's coming."

Lily rolled her eyes, sneering. "I hate Deshawn."

Taz smirked. "He likes you." Lily smirked back.

"Who the fuck doesn't?"

"I don't like you, Red," Ty mumbled. She grinned.

"That's 'cause you're a dumb ni-" Before she could say the word, Taz grabbed her chin roughly.

"Keep your fucking mouth shut, bitch," he growled. Her mouth hardened and she looked out the window until they pulled into their parking spot. Lily stared critically at the little Latina girl as they ascended in the elevator. She was at least wearing makeup this time, and looked as old as she claimed she was, maybe a year older. Definitely still not legal. Lily shook her head, but she wasn't one to judge the girl.

"If you're gonna take this shit serious, you're gonna need to up your game, Baby," Lily said once they got inside the apartment, going to the freezer for her bottle before Deshawn showed up. The girl pursed her mouth a little but didn't comment. Lily smirked and unscrewed the top, swigging from the bottle, then tugged at the girl's little plaid button down over her tiny tank top. "The fuck's this for?" The girl's cheeks went pink and she looked down, mumbling something. "Speak the fuck up, I don't got time for mumbling."

"My mom's Catholic and she won't let me leave the house without my shoulders covered," the girl said, mouth turning down, looking embarrassed.

"Aw, you a mama's girl? Get over it. Is your mama here? No she fuckin' isn't. Ditch that shit." The girl licked her lips and shed the little shirt. Lily took another drink. "When Deshawn gets here, you sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up, or I'll let you do the work. Got it, Baby?"

"Uh huh."

Lily took one last long pull from her bottle, chugging twice and winced against the burn, then put it back. The girl looked sour. "You need to work on curbing that attitude face," she said quietly as Taz and Ty shot at pixels and smoked a blunt. "Or some fucker will curb it for you."

The girl's brows lifted and she said, just as quietly back, "I try."

"Try harder." Lily moved back to the living room, dumped the last of her baggie and snorted it, just as there was a knock at the door. "Fuck," she muttered, and got up quickly, tugging the Latina girl by the hand back to her bedroom as Taz told Ty to get the door. Lily pointed to the corner by the closet. "Sit there, don't make a fucking peep, and pay attention," the redhead said, quickly shucking her tank and bra, stuffing the extra cash into the depths of her purse and stripped down to her tiny, mint green lace panties. She spritzed on perfume as the door opened.

Deshawn, despite being pretty good looking, was one of Lily's least favourite bi-monthly regulars because he was a chauvinistic prick who liked to call her a nasty slut and loved when she disagreed and then pretended to fight back. "Do you even wear clothes?" he drawled, closing the door behind himself.

"What do you think?" she murmured, moving to sit on the end of her bed. She felt the girl's eyes on her and ignored it.

Deshawn chuckled. "What's the point, right, slut?"

She bit her tongue, keeping her gaze down as he undressed and, like an Oscar winning actress, flinched away from him when he moved toward her. Deshawn left an hour later, leaving the money on the night stand, and Lily smoked a cigarette as she got dressed again. "What did you learn?" she asked the girl, finally looking at her.

"That guy's fucked," she murmured. Lily grinned.

"True, but wrong fuckin' answer. One more try."

The girl seemed to think about it and Lily's patience waned. "You gotta give 'em what they like?" the girl finally said.

Lily smirked. "Bingo, Baby. And nine times outta ten, the niggas want some nasty fuckin' shit, but any good whore plays along. They're paying you not just to fuck, but for the experience." The girl nodded. Lily took a drag off her cigarette. "You smoke?" she asked. The girl shrugged so Lily tossed her a cigarette and lighter.

"Thanks," she murmured.

The redhead snorted. "You passed the first test. Hopefully your second test doesn't come tonight." Lily privately thought if she'd seen Tiny before she started turning tricks for real she might've changed her mind about it. "So you like black cock best or what?"

"I don't care what colour it is," the girl said. Lily rolled her eyes. "I like guys who speak Spanish."

"Then why're you hooking up with Ty?"

The girl shrugged again, smoking her cigarette. "He's got connections." The redhead smirked as Taz came in, because maybe Baby had some potential after all.

"He wanted to double up," she said, handing Taz the money. He tossed her a hundred bucks back.

"Then keep the tip, bitch." She got up and put the cash in her purse, following Taz back out to the living room, the girl following wordlessly.

"You learn somethin'?" Ty asked her when she sat down beside him.

"Uh huh."

Taz put his blunt in his lips as Lily took the armchair and helped herself to the blow on the coffee table. "What'd you learn?" Ty asked, getting shot in the game.

"Some guys are fucked." Lily snorted her line and coughed a little.

"Jesus Christ, where'd you get this?" she asked Taz, rubbing her nose. "It's fucking great," she added.

"Don't fucking worry 'bout it," he mumbled. "Go home, little man, and take the mini bitch with you."

After they left, Taz looked at Lily. "What?" she asked.

"How long's this fuckin' movie shit gonna take?" Lily frowned.

"I don't fucking know. I'm just the dumb whore they're paying to talk." Taz threw his controller aside, clearly pissed.

"Then fucking find out," he growled, and reached over and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back. "And find out soon times. I got lots of business opportunities but not enough cash flow and you should fucking know I'm not the most patient, bitch." He threw her back into the chair and got up. "I'm taking a piss, and if your ass isn't gone out to get me something to eat by the time I get back, I'ma give you an eye to match the cock you like best, bitch."

Lily glared but got up, grabbed her purse, and headed out. She got subs from the little deli around the corner and halfway down the block from their building. As she waited, she sent Ian a text in response to the one he'd sent a couple days before, then cleared her outbox. If Taz saw, he'd flip, and Lily wanted to keep him calm until the stupid movie making shit paid out. As she walked back, she thought about possibly leaving Taz once she got her check, but she knew if that happened, not only would she lose a great dick to ride, but a live-in coke dealer and probably the bulk of her johns. Then again, with enough money, she mused, she could start her own, self-managed business. Maybe.

Once inside Lily frowned, because Eddie was there, and two other guys, buying coke and hanging out. She felt instantly suspicious of the thin, very light skinned guy. He looked around too much for her liking, like he was casing the place. "Put the shit away," Taz said, "and come over here, bitch." Lily pursed her mouth but tossed the food in the fridge and went over. Taz patted his lap, so she sat on it. The light skinned guy looked her over with light blue eyes that had finally come to rest, smirking. "Get undressed." Lily couldn't help her slight blush, but her mouth hardened.

"Why?"

Taz merely unhooked her bra. "'Cause I said so, bitch." Feeling cheap and embarrassed and pissed as all hell, she stood and stripped her clothes, down to her panties, and made to sit back down. "All the way."

Her stomach roiled and she grit her teeth, but slipped her underwear off anyway, knowing what was coming. She didn't bother to try sitting again. "Not bad," the light skinned guy said, eyeing her up.

"'Til she opens her mouth and words come out," Eddie mumbled.

The light skinned guy lifted a brow and she stared him down, trying to resist clenching her fists. "She does everything?" he asked, glancing at Taz.

"'Cept bareback."

The guy looked back at Lily. "Turn around." She grit her teeth and turned around, glaring at Taz now. He flashed her the grin and she wanted to punch him in the fucking face. "White girl ass," he muttered.

"What'd you expect, she's a white bitch." Taz leaned back, perfectly at ease, which irked Lily more than anything.

"Do I get to take a test drive?"

Taz chuckled. "This ain't freebie day, buddy. Tell you what, you take the mouth for now, I'll cut you a real nice deal."

"Turn back around," light skinned guy said, and Lily turned back around. "Huh. How much?"

"Fifty." Lily grit her teeth, unable to help the sharp spike of nausea. "And that's half off."

"A'ight."

The redhead fought the urge to gag preemptively when Taz spanked her ass and said lazily, "Get to work, bitch." She forced her brain to disengage, thinking only of the frosty, half full bottle of vodka in the freezer. How it would feel in her hand as opposed to some stranger's slightly crooked dick. How the sharp burn of ice cold alcohol would shock her mouth and blister her throat instead of the guy's spunk five minutes after she put her mouth on him.

When she was done, she got dressed silently, focusing solely on the vodka in the freezer to banish the unpleasant taste in her mouth and throat, and snatched the dime bag of blow Taz held out. The vodka helped numb her after a couple chugs, and she carried the bottle back to her bedroom to get drunk before she had to deal with Tiny that night.

She called Malfoy late the next morning, after her shower, and they met at the hotel room. She sat in the chair with the good lighting, knowing she looked damn good, feeling buzzed from the fat line she'd done in the car when Taz dropped her off on the way to do some deliveries. "Where's the camera guy?" she asked suspiciously as he closed the door behind her and no one else appeared to be present.

"His wife is having a baby."

Lily's brows shot up. "No shit? Fuck. Let's hope she takes the fucking drugs." Lily crossed her legs and leaned on one elbow, waving her foot up and down absently. "So you got stuck doing his job?"

Malfoy pointed to a tripod and mic stand. "I improvised in his absence."

"So, you got a wife, too? Does she know you're hanging 'round hookers?" she drawled. "I bet you like tall, supermodel blondes, am I right?"

"Unfortunately, it's your job to answer the questions, not ask them." Lily shrugged, drumming her nails on the arm of her chair. "Are you ready?" The redhead smirked.

"You bet, Hollywood."

"I want to ask some hard questions." Lily pursed her mouth a little, looking at him suspiciously. "I'll ask, and you can decide if you'd like to answer."

"Whatever," she muttered. "Go for it."

His dark grey eyes regarded her steadily for a moment, then he pulled out his notebook. "Do you feel guilty for your mother's mental breakdown?"

Lily stared at him, barely believing she'd just heard that. "Next question," she said stiffly.

Malfoy's brow lifted. "Alright. How do you feel about your mother's mental breakdown, then?" Lily narrowed her eyes. "I told you some things would be difficult to talk about from the outset. My goal is to get to the root of what lead you into this life. What are the things that left the scars deep enough you value yourself so little?"

Lily forced herself to remain calm and affected a bored, dismissive tone when she said, "You sound like a fucking counselor or shrink. And I don't generally converse with those types."

"Alright then," he said, with a hint of a sigh. "Do you think you deserve to be loved?"

Lily snorted. "Lots of people love me, so I guess."

"Why don't you want to stay with Ian? You said yourself he's in love with you."

Lily was starting to feel distinctly bothered by his questioning now. She reminded herself of the money and tried to calm herself down. "I also told you he has a small dick."

For the first time since meeting him, Lily saw a flash of either anger or annoyance, or even possibly disgust, flit over Malfoy's face. "Do you love Taz?"

"Sure."

"Has he ever acted abusively toward you?"

"Probably."

Malfoy's dark eyes narrowed. "Are you going to keep giving me one word answers?"

"Are you going to take the fucking hint I don't wanna talk about this kind of shit?" she snarled. "Like fuck, what do you want me to tell you? I'm a fucking coke whore, I don't fucking know what fucking romantic love is supposed to fucking be! Okay? I don't know what that feels like!" She'd stood up, chest heaving, and sat down abruptly, cursing her redheaded temper for getting away from her, mouth running right along with it.

"That's somewhere to start," he said softly, not having even flinched at her outburst.

"Or it's somewhere to end," she said. "I don't talk about personal shit or feelings or any of that crap. I ain't got time for that bull."

"Is that part of the reason you're a prostitute?" he asked baldly. "Because you don't know what love is supposed to be like?"

She laughed, but it was dark and humourless. "Maybe. I never thought of it like that before. I just figured it was 'cause I fucking love coke and I don't give a fuck what I have to do to get it."

"And why don't you? Give a fuck, that is."

"'Cause old habits die hard." She dug in her bag for her cigarettes, hands shaking a little. "I need a fucking cigarette, fuckin' arrest me for breaking some fucking by-law if you have to." She flicked her lighter three times before the flame caught and inhaled the nicotine gratefully. "I'm not fucking doing this if I have to fucking talk about my personal life shit, shit nobody has any business knowing or hearing about."

Malfoy stared at her for a long time, pensive, his dark grey eyes intense as ever. "How old were you when it happened?"

Lily pulled hard off her smoke. "When what happened?" she said blandly.

"When someone took something that didn't belong to them."

Lily closed her eyes, trying to hold in the tears and the pain and guilt and shame and humiliation, pressing a fist to her mouth. "I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about," she said as evenly as possible, although her voice wavered a little.

"The statistics alone make it a likelihood," Malfoy said softly. "And you know it's not your f-"

"Don't fucking say that to me." She puffed furiously at her cigarette, hazel eyes bright. "I might be a dumb fucking coke whore, but I'm not fucking stupid. How the fuck would you know if anything is my fucking fault?" Lily hated that tears pricked behind her eyes. "This isn't happening. I'm fucking dead serious, I'm not talking about this shit, and you can't fucking make me, and if you try I'm just gonna fucking walk out."

"Alright," the blond man said easily and shifted in his chair. "Have you ever had children?"

Lily snorted, still on edge but glad he'd stopped pushing. "No."

"Have you ever been pregnant?"

Her mouth quirked. "No. And I plan to stay that way. I got an IUD when I was twenty, and I can count on one finger the number of dicks I've ridden bareback." Malfoy continued with his note making.

"Since you started prostituting, have you been sexually assaulted by a client?"

"No. My johns are nice fellows mostly. Disgusting sometimes, but harmless."

"Have you ever been physically assaulted by a client?"

"I had some guy put a knife to my throat and rob me blind, but that's it." Her mouth turned down.

"Have you ever done things you didn't want to do for your clients?"

The redhead almost laughed. "What do you think? You tell me if you wanna put your mouth on any part of some guy who hasn't showered in at least a week." She couldn't repress the shudder that time and smoked her cigarette. "Most of this profession is doing things to and for people you don't want to. It's like flipping burgers for a living. You don't want to, but you do it anyway, 'cause they pay you."

"Do you like any of your customers?"

Lily shrugged, pulling hard off her smoke. "I don't mind you."

"I'm not really a customer," he said, looking amused.

She grinned. "Are you not paying me? If you wanna go that route, trying to stiff me, you're not gonna like me much."

"And the others? Do you like any of them?"

Lily uncrossed and recrossed her legs the other way. "There's some I don't mind. It's not good to let your guard down, though." She glanced around for an ashtray and finally stood and leaned over, using a decorative bowl on the table crammed into a corner of the room. "The world is a mean, fucking dog eat dog place and you let your guard down, it'll chew you up and spit you the fuck back out."

"Has that been your experience?"

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes, sitting back down and frowned at her nails, then ran a hand through her hair.

"Let's talk about Taz." She narrowed her eyes, pulling off her cigarette roughly, wondering why Hollywood was like a dog with a fucking bone, going back to the same stupid shit she didn't want to talk about.

"What about him?"

"You mentioned he has a drug problem."

Lily snorted a laugh. "Okay, if you say so. Taz smokes weed, I don't think that counts as having a drug problem."

"Does he use cocaine?"

"Sometimes," she said, outing her smoke in the little bowl. "Not a lot. He doesn't wanna get hooked and end up snorting all his profits." She rolled her eyes, because Taz said it was bad enough she tried to.

"And you trade sex for drugs for him?"

"Sometimes. Taz doesn't usually like that shit, though. He gets mad when I do favours for straight blow, especially if he finds out after the fact." She thought about the night she'd fucked Dave for a half ounce. And then how furious Taz had been when he found out she'd been paid in drugs and snorted most of them before, during, and after her night with Dave.

"Why?" Malfoy asked softly.

"Because it usually winds up being me trading sex for drugs for myself." Lily fidgeted, hoping he wouldn't detour down the pimp road again, because she felt a niggling sensation in the pit of her stomach whenever he got close to that subject.

"Does Taz control your habit?"

Her mouth tightened. "Well, he's my dealer, so I guess."

"Do you sleep with Taz?"

The redhead laughed. "Obviously. His dick is amazing, too. Just for the record."

Malfoy didn't comment on that, nor did his thoughtful expression change. "And you enjoy sex with Taz?"

"Again, obviously. He's my man, and he's hung, and he knows what I like."

"How often do you have sex with Taz?"

Lily's brows went up. "That's some personal shit, Hollywood."

Malfoy smirked. "Just covering all the bases." Lily had no idea what that meant.

"I guess, like...I dunno. A few times a week? It depends how busy I am, obviously," Lily murmured, brows pulling together. "And other shit."

"Like?"

"Like lots of shit," Lily said vaguely. For some reason the redhead found she didn't want to admit half the time she and Taz fucked it was so she could get high. And the other half was when he said so. Not that she didn't enjoy it still, but being the instigator was always preferable to Lily. "Obviously if he's in the middle of doing deals and shit it's not a good time for fucking."

"Is Taz the only person with whom you enjoy sex?"

Lily frowned. "The fuck's that s'posed to mean?"

"I mean is sex pleasurable with your clients, or do the two remain separate, business and pleasure?"

Her mouth curved up seductively and she tossed her hair, leaning forward, knowing her boobs would look great, and uncrossed her legs and braced one hand between them, leaning forward more. "That depends," she purred. "Are you offering to mix the two?"

"No."

Lily sat back, grinning. "Then it still depends. Have I gotten off with a john? Sure. Is that a regular everyday kinda thing? Fuck no."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Because fucking for money isn't about me and whatever the fuck I want. It's about whoever's paying me." She flicked her hair to one side, swirling the wavy mass absently as she repeated the words she'd told the mini 'ho. "They're not paying just to fuck, that's what cheap nasty hookers who prowl the streets and shit do. They pay for the experience, and nine times outta ten, the experience ain't something I find pleasurable. But you play along."

She was debating taking a bathroom break to snort some more blow, but refrained. Despite him being kind of pushy and sort of a total asshole at times, she felt distinctly at ease around Malfoy. Almost too much. "How do you feel about other workers in your industry?"

Lily frowned. "How d'you mean?"

He smirked. "Do you interact with other prostitutes?" The redhead felt a stab of guilt, thinking about the mini 'ho, but she wasn't really a prostitute. At least, not yet.

"Not really. We don't have group meetings or anything, and a lot of bitches who look like they might be hooking aren't. And a lot who look like they aren't hooking probably be doing it. Have I met other 'workers in my industry'? Yeah. Didn't like 'em."

"Why is that?"

"I don't like hungry bitches looking at my man like he's the hand feeding them at the fucking soup kitchen. They think he's gonna bend over backward for them and shit or fuck them so they can score, and it's not fucking happening."

"To your knowledge, has Taz ever slept around?"

"With hookers? I fucking hope not. I'd cut his big, sexy cock right the fuck off and put it in his mouth for him if he did. I'm not risking getting some nasty other slut's diseases and shit. And why would Taz bone other bitches and pay them? He has his own, for free."

"I'm assuming he's the only one you've had unprotected sex with?"

"Yup." She reached for another cigarette, and smirked a tiny bit. The second time she'd been with Taz, he'd asked if she was on the pill and she'd told him about the IUD. He'd grinned, said, 'thank fuck', and from then on, hadn't bothered to wrap it. And she hadn't forced the issue because half the time she was too high to remember and the other half, Taz was too impatient. Lily pushed a hand through her hair and thought again about the last of the blow in her purse, drumming her fingernails on the chair, feeling a little edgy.

"How often do you snort?"

"What?" she asked, taken off guard.

"You're fidgety and you keep looking at the bathroom. Your pupils were also twice the size they are now when you first came in, which I'm assuming means the high is wearing off."

Lily shrugged. "I snort as often as possible. I don't have a fucking schedule or nothing. Why, how long we fucking been here?"

"Almost an hour and a half."

"Shit." Lily ran a hand through her hair again. "Well I gotta go to the bathroom, so-"

"Please don't be so offensive as to lie to me outright."

The redhead narrowed her eyes. "Did I say I gotta go take a piss? No I fucking didn't. You wanna call me a liar, make sure I am, first, Hollywood. I'm done for today, anyway. I'm gonna lose my voice if I chit chat all fucking day and then how the fuck am I supposed to make any money? You'd be surprised how many black motherfuckers wanna be talked dirty to."

Lily stood up and grabbed her purse, even as Malfoy flicked the camera off, the little red record light blinking out. "That's fine. Just out of curiosity and off the record, was I right?"

"'Bout what?" she asked, digging for her coke. If he wanted to call her out on shit, she'd snort it right off the goddamn table.

"About you being molested."

Lily froze for a second that answered the question for her, then kept rummaging. "Dunno what you're talking about," she said bitterly, and at last put hands upon her dime bag. She tapped out every last crumb of off white powder onto the table and took her section of Slurpee straw out, dividing the pile in half. Each smaller pile got its own nostril. "Fucking right," she breathed, sniffling a bit.

"You know that shit will kill you, right?" Malfoy murmured as she packed up, putting a cigarette in her lips.

"We all gotta die of something, Hollywood."

His face was very serious as she passed through the door he'd opened for her. "One last question, off the record, Lily," he said, and she turned back, because when he said her name, she felt something flutter in her chest, a giddy rush she attributed to the excellent coke almost choking her.

"What, Hollywood?" she asked, plucking the smoke from her lips and turning as she crossed the threshold.

"What do you think your mother will die of if the cocaine or prostitution kills you?" Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him blankly, because he sounded pissed, really pissed, and he wasn't smiling or looking thoughtful. "I'll let you think about that one until next time," he said easily, and closed the door in her face. When she called Taz to come pick her up she realized she hadn't asked Malfoy how long he expected this deal would be.

When Taz asked in the car, she replied with a muttered, "Didn't get a straight answer."

Taz glared. "Then fucking try harder, bitch."

XXX


	4. Chapter 4

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.

XXX

The next morning, when Lily finally regained consciousness, she was exhausted and felt shittier than she'd felt in a long time. She blamed Hollywood and his fucking question when she'd left. What the fuck did it matter what her fucking mother would die from? Like it would be her fault. Except, deep down, Lily knew if she'd died from overdosing, or if some psycho john decided to snuff her, her mother would die from a broken heart.

As a kid, Lily had been her mother's shadow, wanting to be smart and beautiful and elegant, just like her mother. She wanted to wear pretty dresses and makeup and have a loving, doting husband like her mother had someday. And Ginny Potter indulged her, taking her out to fancy French restaurants and shopping, taking her as a girl to her salon to get her hair and nails done. Lily had loved those times. And her mother had always said she'd secretly loved her the most, because Albus and James would never want to have real tea parties or go shoe shopping with her.

The redhead pushed the memories down and got up, rubbing her face, and then went to take a long, hot shower. When she was finished, Taz was in the bathroom. "Where you going?" he rumbled, backing her into the shower again, grinning.

"I'm not in the mood," she said, still feeling distinctly blue, and bit her lip to hold in the memories the stupid question had stirred up that had thwarted her sleep and made guilt eat away at her.

"Get in the mood," he rumbled, and bit her neck. She tried to feel something, anything, but the heavy fog of depression weighed her down and left her empty. She needed a line or four before she'd want hot, steamy shower sex. Taz's hands cupped her breasts and he pressed her back to the cool tile. She moved her hands over him, and pretended to enjoy herself as he had his way with her, standing up in the shower.

When she finally slipped back to her own room to get dressed, feeling used and hollow, she focused on the thought of getting high. By the time Taz was finished in the bathroom and joined her in the living room, Lily had pushed the memories back down where they belonged in her subconscious, and felt euphoric and energetic and ready for whatever life decided to chuck at her that day. And it only took three fat lines. "You put it all up your nose?" Taz drawled, rolling a blunt.

"Yup."

"You're fucking out of control, bitch," he grumbled.

"Yup," she said again, puffing her cigarette and grinned. "That's why all the niggas love me."

Taz lit up his blunt and puffed. "They love you 'cause you're white and nasty, bitch. Go put some fucking whoring clothes on. You gotta do some more teaching for the mini bitch."

Lily frowned. "I don't wanna-"

Taz grabbed her face, hard, blunt still hanging casually out of his mouth, and his grip tightened ruthlessly, fingers and thumb biting into her flesh like a vice. "I don't give a single fuck about what the fuck you wanna do, bitch. I'm telling you what the fuck you're gonna do, or do I have to fucking repeat myself?" Lily couldn't reply even if she wanted to. He threw her face aside and took the blunt out of his mouth. "Now's the part where you hop to it, bitch."

She got up, and went to her room to get ready, putting her face on with extra concealer to cover the finger marks, and took her time curling her hair. She pulled on a slinky little black dress that was at least a size too small and barely covered her assets, put on four inch stilettos in leopard print, and applied her favourite perfume. Looking in the mirror, she frowned, trying to believe she looked beautiful. It didn't work.

Lily went back to the living room and saw Ty and the mini bitch, the former still bruised, the colour a mottled purple and yellow now, the latter with heavy lidded, glassy eyes, and dressed like she was going to school. She snorted as she sat, crossing her legs as she lit her smoke. Taz put his arm around her. "You look good, bitch." She smiled. "For a coke whore, anyway." Hazel eyes rolled, then flicked to the girl, and Lily tried to remember what her real name was. She'd already forgotten.

"I thought we had a chat about that shit," Lily said, pulling off her cigarette and flicking her other hand at the girl's cardigan. She saw the little Latina trying to keep her mouth from pursing as she slipped it off and smirked. "Shouldn't you children be at school or some shit?"

Ty scoffed. "Yeah, 'cause you was goin' to school and shit. You's a fucking whore, Red."

"I might be a whore, but I'm a fucking educated one. I got my fuckin' diploma." Lily merely laughed when he gave her the finger. Taz pulled her closer, tucking her neck into the crook of his elbow.

"Too bad they wasted the paper printing it, you ain't never used it, bitch," he muttered. "Today you're gonna take the mini bitch to meet Joe." Lily shot Taz a questioning glare, hoping to God he wasn't proposing the girl fuck with Joe.

"You wanna be stuck wearing a fucking jumpsuit when you're an old man?" she asked.

Taz snorted. "Yeah right, bitch. I ain't even gonna be there. She's just goin' while you pick up for me. And you tell Joe I want the same shit I got last time."

The redhead barely refrained from rolling her eyes, but puffed off her cigarette. "You gonna drive us?" she asked at last.

"I got people coming, I ain't got time to be running all over the fucking place." Taz's hand moved from her collarbone to cover her breast. "Your legs ain't broken, bitch, you can walk."

Lily glanced at the girl, who looked borderline comatose, eyes barely open. "You gonna pass out on me, Baby?" she drawled.

"No," she mumbled.

"Ty, if your mini bitch falls asleep, I'm leaving her ass with Joe." She turned in Taz's hold and hooked a thigh over one of his, half straddling it. "If I gotta walk, I need a pick me up for after."

"You don't need shit, your nose still white from this morning."

"Then I want a ride." She shifted, as though about to climb astride his lap, and lifted her thigh against his. "Doesn't even matter what kind," she purred.

Taz pushed her back and tossed a skinny dime bag to her. "Come straight back, and don't fucking dawdle, bitch. And if I have to come get you, you're gonna wish I didn't."

Lily leaned in, kissing the corner of Taz's jaw under his ear teasingly, and whispered, "I'll bring you your shit, babe, and I promise I'll be back before you miss me." She stood up and got her shit ready, glancing at the girl. "Come on, Baby. Time to get a fucking education."

Once they were a couple blocks away but at least ten from Joe's, the girl murmured softly, "Does that always work?"

"Does what work, Baby?" Lily lit a cigarette and puffed, trying to keep her pace slow for her mini bitch.

"You got him to give you your shit." Lily smirked.

"You tryin' to pull a fast one, Baby? Playing it like you're high and not paying attention?"

"No," the girl said, "I'm high as fuck. I snorted two percocets this morning with Ty. He wouldn't give me anymore, though. I wanna know if that shit really works or if Taz is just dumb."

Lily cocked a brow. "Taz ain't as dumb as I can make him look," she said warningly. "But nine times outta ten it works. You gotta know what your nigga likes if you gonna be pulling that shit, though. And if you get caught doing it too much, it ain't gonna work." They stopped at a busy intersection for a red light, and Lily looked at the girl critically again. "Take your hair down."

She girl tugged her messy bun out, dark hair waving everywhere, and Lily brought it around over her shoulder. "What're you doing?"

"Making you look less like a little girl tagging along and more like you're a fucking woman." Once they got to Joe's, Lily buzzed up and he buzzed them in. In the elevator, the redhead tugged the Latina girl's leggings a smidge lower on her hips and eased the snug tank top up a smidge. "Up your game, Baby. This is business."

"My mom-"

"I don't give a fuck. If you look bad, so do I sweetheart, so put some fucking effort in. You pack your slut clothes in a purse if you wanna be getting away with shit." She shook her head, because this shit was the kind of thing she figured out herself at that age. The girl blushed a bit as the elevator dinged, but nodded. Lily knocked on Joe's door.

"Hey, Red," he said, opening it a moment later. "This some kinda two for one special?" he asked, brows lifting over droopy eyelids. Lily snorted as they went in and Joe closed the door.

"Not today, honey. Pretend she's not here." Lily pointed to the couch. "Sit, shut up, touch nothing. Or you'll wish I left you here, Baby."

"Okay," the girl said and sat, watching television vaguely.

Lily smiled up at Joe. "So," she murmured, following him back to the bedroom, "did you like last week, honey?"

He grinned. "I like every week, Red."

"Oh good. Because this is a week you're going to love."

They were headed back down the elevator an hour later, the ounce of weed in Lily's purse, her lipstick only needing minor repairing afterward. "You're fast," Baby murmured as they reached the street.

The redhead lit a smoke, passed it to the girl, and lit another for herself. "I'm efficient. You don't waste time being fancy about shit."

"What'd you give to him?" she murmured.

Lily grinned. "If I told you I'd have to kill you, Baby. I'll teach you the tricks of the trade, but you can't have my secrets to success for free." They paused by a pizza place, where Lily snorted her whole dime bag off the back of the toilet, and continued on. By the time they reached the apartment, Lily was feeling pretty decent, although she noticed Baby had perked up, so her high was probably fading.

"'Bout fucking time," Taz grumbled when they came in.

"Here you go, babe," she murmured, putting the weed against his chest. He took the bag, grabbed her wrist and tugged her downward.

"You get me the good shit?" he demanded.

"He said he got some better shit, so he gave you that."

"Good work, bitch," Taz said, releasing her and opening the bag. He had his blunt rolled and lit in minutes and Lily, after getting her bottle and taking a swing to wash the taste out of her mouth, sat beside him.

"You learn anything?" Ty said softly to Baby.

She smiled a little. "Uh huh."

"What?"

Lily shot her a warning look. "You gotta be efficient," she said, and when she slid onto his lap after he made room, Lily smirked.

"Fuckin' right," the redhead said.

After Ty and Baby left, Taz told Lily to get to work on her movie shit, so she called Malfoy. When he picked up, she was instantly reminded of that stupid fucking last question. _"What do you think your mother will die of if the cocaine or prostitution kills you?"_ She felt her stomach drop, and for a half second was tempted to just hang up.

Instead, she said throatily. "Since it's my job to answer the questions, Hollywood, off the record, she'd probably just stop wanting to live."

She swallowed as he paused. "Are you going to answer the hard questions now?" he asked.

Lily smiled a little sadly, picking at the comforter on her bed. "Some of them." It wouldn't matter if she just let him in the tiniest bit. Give him some emotional shit for his documentary or whatever. What could it hurt?

"Where do you want to meet?" They met at the park again, moving to a big willow tree standing in a sea of grass. Malfoy showed up alone again, but a much smaller camera and no bulky sound equipment with him, and smiled a little as he adjusted the settings. "You caught me off guard when you called, and Salty's at home with the wife and baby," he said as she eyed the little thing.

"Boy or girl?" Lily asked, because that was the polite thing to do. She might be a coke whore, but she had manners.

"Girl. They named her Ava Rose."

The redhead smirked, feeling bad for the poor kid. "That sucks. I have a cousin named Rose and she's a bitch."

Malfoy held up his camera, and Lily took her sunglasses off, tossing them on her purse. She'd changed out of her whoring clothes and into a little green and grey romper and flip flops. "Do you want to talk about your family?"

"Sure," she said, lifting her brows briefly, sounding less than thrilled, because that was still a sore spot. "I mean, there's not much to talk about. They mostly hate me and when I can't avoid seeing them we all pretend that's not the case."

"And the rest of your family? The extended ones, are you close to any of them?" For a moment Lily froze, thinking of _him_ , but pushed that deep down.

"Not close. There's some I don't dislike. My cousin Roxy is cool, but we don't like, get together or anything outside family functions. I'm pretty sure they all know I'm fucked anyway."

"Do you think your addictions and lifestyle choices have put strain on your parents' marriage? You said your father turned his back, but your mother still kept in contact with you."

The redhead blinked, because she'd literally never thought of that before. "I…" She looked down and bit her lip. "Yeah probably."

"Do they know?"

"Know what?" she asked, glancing up, and saw his serious expression, so at odds with his eyes, which had softened. She looked down again. That was too deep to talk about. "Move on, Hollywood."

"Does anyone know?"

She glared at him, but he merely stared her down, notebook open and resting on one thigh, holding his little camera up by his shoulder. "There's nothing to know," she said firmly. "And even if there was, the answer would be no, because I don't talk about my personal shit."

"How much older are your brothers?"

"Al's two years, James is four."

"Do you know if they suffer from addictions?"

"James hasn't even ever smoked a cigarette, let alone drugs. He was the fucking golden boy. Couldn't ever do wrong, even when him and Albus threw house parties and got shitfaced. I know Al's tried some shit, I smoked a joint with him in high school once, I think. And he told me once he tried blow but he said it made him feel shitty, so it was probably stomped on too many times or cut with nasty shit. As far as I know now they're the respectable, upstanding citizens my parents expect their children to be."

"Have you ever been arrested?" Malfoy asked out of the blue, and the topic switch threw her.

"Not yet. I was detained once but luckily we were on our way to pick up, not coming back holding, so we drove away."

"Was that with Taz?"

"No. The guy who beat the shit outta me. He was speeding, and got pulled over, and 'cause he was black they searched the car and shit." Lily smirked at that particular memory. There had been two cops, both white, and the younger one had been the one to cuff Lily, blushing horribly the whole time, because she'd been dressed like a whore. "They got suspicious about the cash, but I told them I was a stripper, which was technically the truth, and they bought it." She picked at her nails. "If Taz and I got pulled over we'd probably get arrested."

"Why is that?"

"Taz is almost as bad as me with losing his temper." She glanced up at Malfoy when he didn't comment. "I mean, don't get me wrong, most of it is 'cause he puts up with my shit, but sometimes…"

Malfoy flipped a couple pages in his notebook. "Sometimes?" he prompted.

Lily shrugged, looking out over the sea of grass. "Sometimes it's out of left field is all. Everyone has their moments I guess."

"Is Taz abusive?"

She shrugged again. "Maybe. Does he beat me? No. Has he put his hands on me? Sure. Have I put my hands on him? Lots of times. He takes care of me, but sometimes I wanna fucking punch that motherfucker in the face."

"Like when?" Lily frowned. "Share an example."

She dug her cigarettes out and lit one up. "I dunno. I guess like the other day, I go out to get something to eat 'cause Taz says he's hungry. So whatever, I go get food, and I come back and see he's dealing. So he tells me put the shit away, and go over to where he's doing work. So I go, and I find out he's trying to get me a new one. Like a new client. And I'm not about that, and the guy wasn't even good looking and his dick was crooked."

"How does that happen?" Lily puffed on her smoke then fiddled with a lock of dark red hair.

"Same way most deals take place. Motherfuckers look over the merchandise, they get a one time bargain, because ain't so such thing as a free test drive, and they decide if they wanna come on back."

"And Taz decides who looks over your merchandise?"

Lily shrugged. "He's not stupid," she said defensively. "He knows better than to be bringing me fucking Mexicans and that I don't like white boys. And they're usually people he knows."

Malfoy's mouth pursed a little, but he didn't comment. "Do you think about the future?"

"All the time," she murmured. "But not more than twenty four hours ahead. You go past that it gets fuzzy and you start making promises you can't keep and shit."

"What are you going to do when you're not twenty two anymore?"

Lily shrugged, because she sure as hell didn't think about becoming an old lady. "Dunno. Haven't gotten to that bridge to cross yet. But I'm fairly positive the list of shit I'm doing a year, two years, fuck, five years from now includes lots of black cock and blow." She smirked, thinking of that morning. "Maybe I'll go into business training mini whores."

Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her. "Would you really?" he asked, professional veneer dropping for a second, and he looked equally shocked and repulsed.

"Maybe," Lily admitted. "When you have a drug problem you go where the money is. If money's not coming in from me fucking, why shouldn't a take a slice of someone else's profits?" Malfoy didn't comment. "'Sides I wouldn't be teaching no mini whore how to spread their legs, I'd teach them the tricks of tricking. How to be smart." Malfoy still didn't comment, which irritated her, somehow making her feel guilty. "Would've been nice if someone had helped me out so I didn't have to learn shit the hard way," she added in a grumble.

"Let's talk about Ian," the blond said at last and Lily pulled off her smoke, feeling disgruntled still.

"What about him?"

"Is he white?"

"Uh huh. Almost as white as me, and I'm awful pasty."

"Do you think that's part of the reason you don't like him?"

Lily smirked. "I think that's the reason he has a small dick, and that's part of the reason I don't want to be with him. I like Ian plenty. He's just the opposite of what I want. Maybe someday that'll change." She rolled her eyes.

"But you doubt that."

"Highly." Lily smoked her cigarette. Honestly, she wouldn't mind Ian, small dick and all, if he wasn't always trying to 'make love' to her. She wasn't about that. She wanted to fuck, plain and simple, and not waste time talking about feelings and kissing up on shit or rubbing all over him. Not her idea of a good time. And the first time he'd done it, made love to her, she'd felt sick from the cloying memories the entire time. "You should know by now, Hollywood, I ain't about feelings and lovey dovey shit. That's Ian to a T."

"Does Ian know that?"

Lily snorted, because she didn't know and didn't care. "He's the one who claims to be in love with me. Shouldn't he know me if that's the case?"

"Can he really know you if you're stringing him along?"

Lily frowned at that. Sure, she felt bad sometimes, leading Ian astray, but she didn't lie to him. "How am I stringing Ian along? He knows I don't wanna settle down, he knows I'm with Taz, and he knows I'm a coke whore. He could move on." Though, when she thought about the text she'd last sent him, she felt guilty again. Because although she didn't promise anything, she still knew how to reel him back every time it looked like Ian might try to move on. And it was better to be a shitty person when everyone already thought so anyway than lose her one safety net.

"Does Taz know about Ian?"

Lily smirked at that. "Yup." She took one last long drag off her smoke then outed it in the dirt.

"How does he feel about that?"

"Who, Taz?" Malfoy nodded. "Can't stand even hearing the name. Especially after last time."

"Last time what?" Malfoy asked softly. Lily sighed, tucking her knees up and resting her chin on them.

"Last time I took a break from Taz and crashed at Ian's. I was s'posed to be going to my cousin's wedding, but Taz and me got into it the day before. I got home from working all night and there wasn't even a fucking crumb of blow, so I flipped out. He flipped out at me 'cause we only had the money from the night before, and that wasn't enough for him to re-up and get me what I needed. So he went and got the shit to re-up and still wouldn't give me the fucking coke I worked all fucking night for. So I took some anyway. He got mad, real mad. We fought. He ended up backhanding me after I called him a fucking retarded nigger, and my lip busted right the fuck open. It looked awful. So I packed some stuff, called Ian, and he came to get me. And, because he's amazing like that, he gave me a couple hundred bucks and took me to a different dealer to score."

"And the wedding?" Malfoy murmured.

"Skipped it," Lily said shortly. "I lied and said I got food poisoning, but I doubt anyone bought it. But I didn't want to be 'that girl' if I showed up with a busted, bruised lip. Y'know? I figured it would be less embarrassing for everyone if I just didn't show. And it's stupid 'cause my whole family just assumed I thought I was too good to show up. Like they don't even know me, so what the actual fuck, right?"

"What does Ian do?"

Lily shrugged. "Investments or some shit. I dunno, he's fucking loaded though."

The blond man looked thoughtful, glancing over his notes, then back at her. "So, just to summarize so far," he murmured, "you're doing this interview for the money, right?"

"Uh huh."

"And you love money, right?" Lily's brows pulled together but she nodded. "But you'd rather stay with Taz, who is abusive and, by all accounts, not the best at managing his, or your, money, leaving you in awkward financial positions, instead of staying with a man who you claim loves you and has money to spare?"

The redhead stared at him. "You're forgetting, Hollywood," she said stiffly, "about the dicks. Might not matter to you, but to a woman like me, having a good dick is important." His brows lifted.

"More important than your personal safety?"

Lily pursed her mouth. "You're not getting it," she said dismissively. "God, how does no one get this? I don't want to be with Ian. I want to be with Taz."

"Why?"

Her posture stiffened. "Look, I don't have to explain my fucking choices to you, Hollywood."

"You don't," he agreed easily. "I just don't understand why you'd pick Taz over a man who, by your account, loves you, is loaded, doesn't mind your drug use or drinking, and appears to want nothing other than to take care of you and enable you. The average person won't understand either, Lily. A life of comfort and support and freedom to do whatever you like, or a big dick?"

Lily felt her temper bubble up. "Yeah, well that's because you and the average person don't know the details. I'd rather fuck with Taz and be a fucking coke whore than spend my life sitting in a fucking house raising kids and being someone's fucking wife, okay? I'd rather the big dick than some man telling me every two seconds how I'm beautiful I am, and how much he fucking loves me and have to pretend I enjoy having him fucking make to love me and shit." She pushed both hands through her hair, ruining her careful curls. "I don't have to play pretend with Taz."

"What's the difference between fucking and making love to you?"

Lily laughed darkly. "Fucking is fucking. It feels good. You don't have to say shit. Making love is bullshit and boring. I don't want some man whispering shit about how he thinks I'm beautiful and I don't like that gentle slow shit." Her emotions felt turbulent, her anxiety skyrocketing, because she was moving close, too close, to revealing too much. She grit her teeth and reinforced her mental barriers.

"Do you believe people when they say you're beautiful?" he asked.

"No," she said shortly, digging out another cigarette.

"Why not?"

"'Cause I'm not," she said firmly. "Maybe I was once, maybe I coulda been, but I'm not. And whoever says it is only saying it for one thing, and me being beautiful or not has almost nothing to do with it. Even ugly bitches can fuck." She lit her smoke and stood up. "I'm done for today."

Malfoy powered down his camera and closed his notebook. "Alright," he said easily. They walked back to the paved path, side by side, not speaking.

As they finally drew up to the path, Lily asked, "So how much longer you think this is gonna be?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Depends."

She puffed her cigarette. "On?"

"On how long it takes for you to stop beating around the bush. I told you, full disclosure, full honesty. I want the whole messy story."

She frowned. "That's not an answer."

"Well, the first woman we interviewed, we talked with her for a month. The second one was a little less than three weeks. So let's say at least a few weeks." Lily frowned a little, because she doubted Taz would like that answer. "Call me when you want to chat next," he said, and made to turn away.

"Sure thing, Hollywood," she mumbled.

"Oh, and off the record?" he added, glancing back, and she looked at him. "You probably could be beautiful, if you actually ever believed it and weren't trying to cover up bruises on your face. And that's coming from a man who's not interested in fucking you."

Lily watched him saunter off, feeling equally amused and offended. Amused, because he'd seemed genuine that beauty was so very close to being attainable to her, and offended because she wasn't sure if that had been a not so mean way of saying she was unattractive. She pulled out her cell and called Taz.

"What?"

"Come get me."

"Fuck you, bitch, I'm busy. Walk that skinny white ass on back."

Lily pulled off her cigarette. "Fine. I hope you have something for me when I get there, motherfucker."

Taz snorted. "Maybe, bitch."

When Lily did get home, Taz was dealing and she went to the freezer for her bottle, taking a few sips before returning it and moving to the couch. She sat on the arm, beside her man, and lit a smoke. He passed her his blunt and she puffed lightly.

"That's a pretty slim eight ball," one of the guys said. Taz looked up and Lily almost smirked, because Taz didn't rip his customers off and _really_ didn't like when they implied he might.

"Yeah?" he drawled, sitting back, and Lily handed the blunt back. "You callin' me a con artist or something?"

"Naw," the guy said, "just saying this eight ball's awful slim in the bag."

Taz glared and Lily made herself stay seated, although she wanted to get up and disappear. She wanted to get high more. "Then give it back." Taz tossed some bills at the guy. "Matter of fact, take your money and get the fuck outta here."

The guy snorted. "Relax, man, just saying it-"

Taz slapped Lily's thigh. "Tell him, bitch."

The redhead held back her sigh. "Put the coke on the table, take your money, and go, buddy," she said softly. "Taz ain't gonna say it again." She hated this game, and prayed, for once, the stupid fucker would just take his money and fuck off.

The guy snorted again. "You fuckin' kidding me? I don't take orders from no bitch. 'Specially no fucking dumb ass bitch. Who the fuck you think you are? Bitch, trying to tell me what the fuck I-" He was brought up short when Taz reached under his couch cushion and pulled out the .45 long barrel he kept in case of emergencies. It was shiny and silver, fully loaded and hot. He put the gun in her lap and Lily flinched a little.

"Tell him again, bitch," Taz said darkly, puffing his blunt. Lily's mouth hardened but she picked up the stupid gun. It felt huge in her hand.

"Take your money and get out," she said quietly.

The guy's jaw flexed, looking torn between following the direction of some lowly coke whore and possibly getting shot by said coke whore. The other guys looked expectantly at the complainer, who finally sucked his teeth and snatched up his money as he stood.

Taz smirked. "Good choice, pussy-assed bitch," he said to the guy, slapping Lily's thigh again. "This bitch is a fucking psycho, she'd probably pull the fucking trigger too." Taz picked up the slim eight ball bag and passed it to Lily, tucking it in her cleavage. "When you learn some respect, come back. Until then, I don't ever wanna see your fucking face. Get out." Once the guy left, Lily handed the stupid gun back. She wouldn't pull the trigger unless there was no other option, and even then, she doubted she could do it. The redhead made to stand, but Taz grabbed her wrist in an iron grip. "Sit your ass down, bitch," he rumbled.

She barely refrained from rolling her eyes, and frowned when he pulled the cocaine from out of her cleavage. "When do I gotta work?" she murmured as Taz sold the eight ball to a different guy, who stared at her tits and smirked.

"Five." Her mouth pursed but she didn't comment. "So when's the cracker gonna pay you?"

Lily shrugged. "He said it's probably gonna be awhile. Maybe a month." She purposely extended the timeline so she could cash the check herself before Taz even knew she'd gotten it. Taz sucked his teeth.

"Goddamn nazi motherfucker," he growled.

"You lending Red out on credit?" the guy with the cleavage coke asked, carving a fat line for himself, and then glanced up.

Taz snorted. "Not to you Juan."

"The fuck's that mean?" he asked, sniffling.

"Means I don't fuck Mexicans," Lily said. Even if he was pretty good looking. His dark eyes narrowed.

"Ignorant bitch, I'm fucking Cuban." Lily shrugged.

Taz chuckled and flipped a dime bag to Lily. "Either way, this ain't fucking Macy's. No credit if she's got her mouth full or she's on her back for you. The cracker's paying her to chit chat." Juan snorted another line.

"The fuck you talk about with a cracker, bitch? You joining the KKK, goin' to Klan meetings in secret or some shit, Red?"

"Fuck you, Cartel," she muttered. "I talk about lots of shit." Lily leaned forward and made her own line, then sniffed it back. "Most of it bullshit. But it's money. And I get to be a fucking movie star," she said sarcastically, and tucked the rest of her blow in her bra.

"Yeah?" Juan said, getting up with the other guy.

"Uh huh."

Juan smirked. "Figures only a cracker would pay you to talk, Red. I'd pay you to keep your fucking mouth shut."

Lily rolled her eyes as Taz laughed. "Too bad you can't afford me either way, Cartel," she said back, and got up, going to the freezer.

Juan smacked her on the ass on the way out. "I can afford better, Red."

Lily slept late the next day, right past noon, and was woken abruptly when Taz slapped her in the face. "Get the fuck up, lazy bitch. You got teaching for your protege." Lily grunted, and rolled away from him, mumbling for him to go fuck himself. He grabbed her hair and sat her up. "Now," he snarled, and left.

She sat up and lit a cigarette, rubbing her face, running a hand through her hair. After a shower and dressing and enough makeup to cover the fingerprint bruises on her jaw and conceal her haggard eyes, she went out to the living room. Ty and Baby were in the living area. Taz was weighing out dime bags for the former.

Lily ate some stale chips and washed it down with a vodka orange juice half and half. "Who we goin' to see today?" she mumbled, still feeling like shit, aching and exhausted. Taz slid the mirror with coke on it over.

"You're gonna take the mini bitch and teach her how to do what you bitches do best." Taz didn't look up from his task as Lily snorted a fat line, lining up a second one.

"Spend money?" she guessed slyly, smirking. Taz shot her a dark look.

"You best be watching that fuckin' mouth, bitch. You know what happens when a bitch gets uppity." Lily rolled her eyes.

"I ain't teaching her to suck dick, that's for damn sure," Lily said, and snorted her second line, then sat back and lit a smoke.

"She don't need lessons," Ty said, shooting pixelated soldiers.

"Fucking nasty," Lily said, then glared at the girl. She was glassy eyed and heavy lidded again, but smirked a little at Ty's assessment.

Taz finished weighing out baggies and passed Lily a wad of cash. "You gonna teach her how to dress so she don't look like a fuckin' baby."

Lily laughed, but took the money. "So I'm teaching her to spend money," she replied. Taz slapped her, but it was light and teasing.

"I said that's what bitches do best. But get your ass back here by three. You got an afternoon job."

"No drive?" she pouted. Taz rolled his eyes. "Relax, babe," she murmured, and kissed him full on the mouth after standing. "I'll bring her back all slutted up. Let's go, Baby."

Once they were on the street, Lily reined in on the urge to power walk. "I don't need to learn how to look like a slut," the girl said.

Lily glanced at her. Itty bitty babydoll tee that showed off her flat stomach, frayed denim cutoffs that barely covered her ass, and flip flops. Lily snorted. "Maybe, but right now you look like a little baby 'ho. You gotta look classy, bitch. Right now you look like a ten dollar fuck." At least she'd worn her hair down again. That helped.

Baby's face turned sour as they got to the lights. "The fuck you want me to say? I live with a fucking saint, and if my mom finds slutty clothes she burns them. The fuck am I supposed to do?"

The redhead tossed her hair, smirking as a man across the street did a double take at her low-cut halter top and mini skirt. "Get a fucking lockbox if you gotta, Baby. You wanna be a big girl, act like one. No whining about Mommy this and Mommy that. Ain't gonna get sympathy from me, sweetheart." She glanced at the girl again then smiled a little. "I know you got a brain in there, Baby. Use it."

They went shopping and Lily took the girl into all her favourite stores, picking things for her to try on. "You wear heels?" Lily asked as they passed a shoe store.

"No."

The redhead frowned. "Why? They make everything look better, y'know."

"I'll twist my ankle."

"Then we'll get you some baby heels. But you gotta look like a fucking woman, not a little girl playing dress up, bitch. C'mon."

By the time they got back, Lily had accomplished her mission. Baby was slutted up and looking as close to legal as possible. "Where's my change, bitch?" Taz demanded. She laughed.

"Funny, Taz. Time's it?"

"You got a half hour."

"C'mon," Lily said to the girl, heading back to her room. She did have change, and gave half the hundred dollars to Baby. "Get a fucking manicure. And don't tell me shit about your mama, 'cause only little girls paint their own nails. You can leave your shit here for now, until you find somewhere to hide it."

The girl nodded. "Do you like doing this shit?" she asked after Lily sat down at her vanity to touch up her makeup and hair.

"What the fuck d'you think?" she said. The girl shrugged.

"Ty said you prolly do, 'cause you're nasty like that, but I don't think so."

Lily smirked. "Bingo, Baby. I don't like doing this shit, but I like blow a whole lot more. Priorities."

"Ty said you're in some kinda movie about hookers."

"So?"

Baby shrugged again. "What's that like?"

Lily thought about it. "Better than fucking for money," she said truthfully. "It's not bad. I talk about shit and whenever the fucker decides he has enough for his movie or whatever, I get paid."

"He nice?"

"Yeah, Hollywood's nice."

Baby looked thoughtful. "What d'you talk about?"

"Life. Hooking. Doing drugs." She reapplied her lipstick. "Why you so interested?"

"I wouldn't mind talking about my life and shit for money."

"Well you ain't a hooker, yet, so don't go getting any ideas, Baby. Come here." The girl came over and Lily got up and sat her in the seat. "You wear perfume?" The girl shook her head.

"My mom doesn't let-"

"What the fuck did I say about your mama?" Lily snapped. Baby took a deep breath through her nose but didn't comment and kept a neutral expression. "Better. Here," she handed the girl an almost full bottle of perfume. "Put that shit on. Wrists, behind your elbows, behind your knees, neck and under your tits. Niggas like bitches who smell nice."

"Okay," she said.

"Now get the fuck out, don't fucking tell a soul I gave you money, and remember what I told you." Lily watched the girl go, took out her cellphone and lit a cigarette. She smirked at the message from Ian. _You're always on my mind, Lily. I'll wait for you, because I love you, and I know deep down you must love me too. You're so amazing and beautiful. I miss you. When can I see you again?_

She didn't bother responding, because the waiting kept Ian panting, and it was a dance she'd long ago perfected. Ten minutes later a figure appeared in the doorway and Lily, who was reclined on her side in bed, glanced up, gritting her teeth into a smile. "Hello Terrence," she murmured. Terrence was young, loaded, and permanently high on ecstasy. He also paid extra to do Lily's least favourite thing, which was being tied down, literally, while they fucked.

"Sup, Red. I hope you're hungry today, bitch."

She forced her mouth to curve into the seductive smile even though she wanted to tell him to choke on a cock. "Starved," she purred.

After Terrence left, Lily went with Taz to Dave's to re-up, pouting a little when she was told to wait in the car. Her phone rang and she picked up, frowning at the unfamiliar number. "Are you busy tomorrow afternoon? Salts want to get some footage for the voice overs," Malfoy asked. Lily frowned some more.

"I dunno, maybe," she said. "Is this your number then, Hollywood?"

"I figured you weren't going to ask for it," he replied sarcastically. She smirked.

"Whatever, Hollywood. Only reason you got my number is 'cause you're payin' me. Lemme text you back when I know what's good," she said as Taz slid in behind the wheel.

"Who the fuck you talkin' to?" he asked after she hung up.

"Hollywood. They wanna film me wandering around lookin' like a big whore or some shit. Tomorrow afternoon."

"You got lessons with the mini bitch," Taz said, pulling away from the curb. "Tell them fuckers to do that shit in the morning."

Lily scowled. "Mini bitch doesn't need any more lessons."

Taz shot her a warning look. "Just 'cause Ty thinks she's good don't mean she is. You gotta take her for evaluation."

"The fuck's that mean?" she demanded. Taz pulled up to a red and grabbed her hair.

"That means you take her where I fucking tell you to take her and you fucking wait outside and then bring the mini bitch back. Got it?" He released her. "Light me a smoke, bitch."

Lily glared but lit him a smoke and passed it. He frowned and wiped off her lipstick mark. "That shit wouldn't happen if you lit your own," she snarked. "I want a line."

"Wait 'til we get home, bitch."

Her lip curled. "No, I fucking want my line now. You been Jewing me all day."

"I'll fucking Jew you all night too, bitch. You can fucking wait."

"I fucking hate you," she snapped.

Taz snorted. "Yeah the fuck right. You love me, bitch. Ain't no other niggas be putting up with your shit just for that puss on the regular."

Lily frowned. "So that's what the fuck I am to you? A fucking regular pussy?" Taz rolled his eyes. "You're a fucking piece of shit," she growled.

"You're more than just my regular pussy, bitch, don't go getting your fucking panties all up in a twist. You my fuckin' golden goose." He patted her thigh. "And a fucking pain in my fucking neck."

Lily leaned over and bit him hard. "I'll fucking show you pain in the neck, you fucker," she growled. He smirked.

"Bite me again, bitch, find out what happens. We might be driving, but I can still hold your fucking head down." Lily flipped him off. Once they got back to the apartment and she'd had her line, a long, very fat one, Taz said lazily, "Fine, go see the movie crackers tomorrow afternoon, but don't be fucking skulking around where there's cops and don't be late. You got dick lined up for six and nine tomorrow night."

"Thanks, babe," she murmured, and kissed the corner of his mouth. He grabbed her head as she pulled away and gave her a menacing look.

"And if you're doing more than fucking talking, make sure you bring the fucking cash back."

Lily snorted. "Yeah the fuck right," she muttered, because she was pretty certain neither Hollywood or his camera guy Salts wanted anything to do with her. Malfoy had pretty much told her so point blank. She shook her head, setting up another line, because they were both fucked. She was hot shit.

XXX


	5. Chapter 5

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.

XXX

They met at the cafe where she'd filled out forms, and Lily was only a couple minutes late after stopping for a sniff on the way. "Sorry," she said, her tone completely at odds with the apology, "I got stuck at red lights the whole way. Swear to God."

Malfoy and the camera guy stood up from their table. "No matter, you can make it up," Malfoy said lightly. "Be nice to Salty, he's not getting paid until we make money on the movie," he added lightly and Lily's brows lifted a bit.

"You're ditching?" she asked.

"You bet." Malfoy looked at Salts. "Get the shots we talked about."

"Aye aye," Salts replied.

Lily spent the next two hours wandering around, making polite, painful small talk with Salts, occasionally pausing for a smoke. "So why are you doing this shit then?" Lily finally asked.

"How do you mean?"

"Why are you following Hollywood around, filming a bunch of hookers?" The guy smiled and Lily felt her back go up, because it was a pitying sort of smile.

"Because if I didn't he'd get someone less talented to help him on his crusade." Lily's brows pulled together.

"The fuck's that mean? What fucking crusade?"

Salts looked away. "I just mean to shed light on this sort of thing. You know, it's still a very hushed up sort of thing. A lot of women feel trapped in their situations but rarely reach out, and-"

"And what?" Lily demanded. "You motherfuckers think I'm some kind of charity case or some shit?"

Salts sighed. "Of course not. You're a grown up, and you make your own choices. And I already told Malfoy you'd be the exception to the rule."

Hazel eyes narrowed. "What rule?"

Salts shrugged. "At some point, Malfoy will wear you down. He's relentless. But he takes this thing really seriously, and he's not going to turn around and screw you over. He cares. He's just kind of pushy, because he has the hero complex."

"Well when you talk to him, you can tell Hollywood that I ain't looking for no saving."

Salts smirked. "I have. That's why you're the exception to the rule. He thinks you'll come round and give him the nitty gritty, the heavy shit. I don't think so. You're not like the other two."

Lily smirked. "They broke the fucking mould with me, Salty," she murmured. He smirked.

"That's probably best. You're a firecracker."

"Just stand back when I go off," she said, and pushed a hand through her hair. "So do we need anymore fucking shots? I ain't used to prowling the fuck around, and you walk slow. It's annoying."

Salts grimaced. "There's one more, unfortunately."

"What?" she sighed, wondering how many fucking shots he could possibly need. How fucking long was this movie gonna be, anyway?

"I'm not supposed to tell you. Malfoy wants a natural expression." Her brow furrowed. The fuck?

"Whatever Salty. If you haven't got it by now, it's not fucking happening today."

He shrugged. "I figured as much. Have a good one, and if you're walking, be careful."

Lily laughed. "Yeah, sure thing." She strode away, pulling out her cell and calling Taz, wrapping a hank of hair around her finger absently.

"What, bitch?" he grunted. She frowned.

"Come get me. I'm fuckin' halfway across town."

Taz muttered something unintelligible, and Lily wondered if he'd covered the phone. "I'm fuckin' busy, bitch. Take the fucking bus." He hung up on her and Lily felt a sharp blast of white hot rage, half tempted to chuck her phone into the street. Instead, she channeled her rage into her legs and stomped toward home.

She slammed the front door behind herself forty five minutes later, ready to take at least a dozen strips off Taz, but bit her tongue, because he was dealing. She went the freezer and chugged four fingers from her bottle. The vodka burned hot as she swallowed, bubbling viciously with the anger in her stomach. "Go get ready, bitch," Taz said when she moved in his direction. She grit her teeth and carried her bottle back to her room, swigging as she went.

Ten minutes later, Taz appeared in the doorway. "Who's coming?" she asked tightly as he stared at her contouring her cheeks furiously.

"The new one." She felt her temper bubbling, but said nothing.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked after several silent moments.

"You got that look on your face like you pissed." He folded his arms.

The redhead shrugged. "Would you rather me keep my mouth shut or have me snap the fuck out, Taz?" she drawled. "Huh? You like when I turn into a psycho bitch?" He scowled. "The fuck were you so busy doing you couldn't come get me?" she asked, swigging from her bottle after putting her bronzer down.

"None of your fuckin' business, bitch. You gonna wipe that pissy look off your face before you get to work? Or am I gonna have to do it for you?"

Lily shrugged, smirking, and glanced at Taz through the mirror. "Go ahead and fucking try, motherfucker. You think I'm fucking stupid, but you don't know shit. Fuck around, Taz, and you'll wish you never fucking met me."

"Hurry up and get some fuckin' whoring clothes on, Sam's gonna be here any minute." Taz left her and Lily drank some more vodka, but put her whoring clothes on. Black spandex miniskirt and a black lace bustier that was patently too small for her boobs.

Sam appeared in her doorway a few minutes later, then stepped in and closed the door, eyes darting around before settling on her where she sat on the end of the bed. "Get undressed, bitch," he said and Lily barely refrained from rolling her eyes. But she undressed. "Get the fuck up." Lily hated this, the uncertainty. What would he want from her. What was the thing that made this light skinned, blue-eyed motherfucker tick? And would she be able to stomach it? "Rule one bitch," he said, moving toward her and she felt her stomach churn with dread. "You gonna call me Sir. Nothing else. Got it?"

Lily found herself wishing she'd emptied the bottle on her vanity. "Yes, Sir," she said compliantly. He smirked and twisted her nipple hard wrenching a grunt from her, and not of enjoyment.

"Rule two, bitch. You only gonna get what you beg for. And I like to hear you nasty bitches beg for it." Lily thought only about the blow she knew she'd be waiting for her whenever this fucker finished. "Got that, bitch?"

"Yes, Sir."

Sam left her two hours later and Lily found a new contender for her least favourite john. She polished off her bottle, came out, and gave Taz the money. He gave her a baggie and went back to video games with Ty. "Where's your mini bitch?" Lily drawled, setting up a line.

"At home, resting. And her mama don't let her out after eight."

Lily frowned. "You need to upgrade your mini bitch, Ty," she said, and then snorted her line. "Get one without a mama trying to live her life for her."

The kid smirked and glanced at Taz. "Yeah, whatever you say, Red."

Lily's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "She ain't wrong," Taz said, rolling a fresh blunt. "You could do better, little man."

Ty rolled his eyes. "Could do worse too," he muttered, looking pointedly at the redhead. Taz grinned.

"Fuck you," Lily said, and snorted her second line. She made to go for a third, but Taz grabbed her wrist.

"You can fucking wait."

The redhead barely refrained from sucking her teeth, and pushed a hand through her hair, still irritated. By Taz, by Ty, by the fucking john she just had to deal with, by the thought of another one soon, and most of all, irritated by the stupid fucking movie shit. "Who's coming?" she asked, examining her nails. "I swear to fuck, those little asian bitches make it so this shit chips on purpose, fucking chink-eyed cunts," she grumbled.

"You's a racist, Red," Ty said, smirking again.

"How the fuck am I racist?" she demanded, lighting a cigarette. "I fuck black guys."

"And you hate everyone else." Ty clicked buttons madly for a moment, then grinned. "Yes, motherfuckers be dyin'!"

"Nah, there's some black fuckers I be hatin' too. That's how I'm not racist, I fucking hate everyone the same."

There was a knock at the door. "Get it," Taz said to Lily. "It might be Nate."

She frowned at her nails one last time, put her smoke down, and then got up and went to the door, opening it casually. Instead of the shorter, milk chocolate man who fucked pretty good considering he didn't have more than an average sized dick, Scorpius Malfoy stood there, arms folded, looking furious. "I need to talk to you for a minute," he said in a well controlled voice.

"Who the fuck is it, bitch?" Taz hollered and Ty snickered.

"You gonna step in?"

Malfoy's gaze didn't waver. "I would prefer to speak in private."

The redhead shrugged, stepped out, and closed the door, folding her arms as she looked up at him. "What?"

"What Salts told you today, I certainly hope you didn't get the wrong impression."

Lily shrugged. "Which one would be the wrong one?"

His brows pulled together ever so slightly. "The one that I might care about you, no offence intended, as more than subject matter for my film."

Lily's brows lifted. "Duly noted, Hollywood. You should probably fuck off now." She made to go back inside, but he caught her arm lightly.

"Seriously, I didn't mean offence, Lily," he said, as she looked back and released her. "I mean you're an enigma. I can't make heads or tails of you sometimes, and just when I think I almost understand, you throw something else at me. It's frustrating and bizarrely fascinating. But I'm not remotely interested in you in a non-platonic way."

Lily blinked, then her eyebrow slowly lifted. "I'm gonna pretend you weren't trying to be a total asshole there. Seriously, though, fuck off. I'm working." She went in and shut the door.

"Who the fuck you be talkin' to?" Taz growled menacingly.

"Fucking Hollywood, calm the fuck down," she snapped back.

Taz glared at her. "And why in the fuck is Hollywood gonna drive himself all the fucking way to come talk just to you, like you important or some shit?"

Lily rolled her eyes, picked up her smoke and and pulled off it. "Fuck you Taz, I am fucking important. I'm the fucking star in his goddamn movie, why the fuck wouldn't Hollywood drive his cracker ass to come talk to me about shit?" She puffed off her smoke some more. "I finished my bottle," she said, outing her cigarette and getting up. "I want a new one." Taz snorted like she was trying to be funny. Lily grit her teeth. "And it better be frosty as fuck when I'm done with Nate, or you're gonna see the psycho bitch, Taz. Or you might wake up to a fuckin' empty house and no merchandise for your junkies tomorrow morning," she tossed out as she moved to her bedroom and smirked when she heard him tell Ty to go to the store.

Lily got up the next morning, exhausted, stiff and sore as ever, and went to go shower, taking longer than normal under the steaming spray, trying to force her brain into wakefulness. It didn't work. She got dressed, toweled her hair off before leaving it a wavy, damp mass around her shoulders and shuffled to the kitchen. There was nothing to eat, but there was vodka and orange juice. Lily went to the living area after her liquid breakfast and lit a smoke, sitting in the arm chair because Ty was passed out on the couch. He looked even younger when he slept.

She set up her line quietly, and the second one, and snorted them back to back, coughing a little and rubbing her nose. After a third line she felt perked right up and full of life. She finished her smoke and went to Taz's room. They rarely slept in the same bed, hadn't really ever except the first few months they'd been together in fact, but when the mood struck, sometimes she'd slip in with her man in the morning and treat him to a nice wake up call.

Lily slipped her clothes off in the dark room and slid under the sheet with Taz, moving against his side, sighing, because he was warm and solid and, in sleep, distinctly comforting. The redhead snuggled up against him and pretended, for one moment, she wasn't a coke whore, he wasn't her pimp and dealer, and she'd spent the entire night in his bed. But like a glistening, soapy bubble, too soon the image in her mind popped and her smile faded. Taz rolled over, grunting, and then pulled her closer.

"The fuck you want?" he grumbled, eyes still closed.

Lily smirked, lifted her head and pressed her mouth over his throat. "Just you, babe." Taz grunted again, a little lower, and she moved her palms down over his hard chest and stomach, then gripped his morning wood.

"Mouth first," he rumbled, and Lily grinned, scooting down and licking a stripe up the underside of his big fat cock, the coke fueling her lust, the vodka dulling her inhibitions, and as she went to work, Lily pretended again. Because despite what she told Malfoy, she did pretend with Taz, in moments such as these. She pretended there was love between them, pretended their intimacy was more than busting a nut for him, and pretended she was happy.

After a good long fuck, she and Taz got up, he in a relatively good mood and she feeling thoroughly satisfied, Lily went and got food for breakfast for Taz and Ty, and typed out a message to Ian, then frowned when she saw she had a text from Hollywood. "The fuck," she breathed, waiting for her order impatiently at the deli, and opened the message.

 _I still don't know if you're actually pissed at me or not. Have I mentioned you're kind of annoying? When are you free to chat next?_

Lily snorted and sent back a reply. _Not pissed, I know you dumb as shit, Hollywood. Meet me at the library at noon. And only kinda? Shit, I'll try harder._

She cleared her outbox and smirked as her order appeared, and headed home quickly. She barely resisted frowning when she came in and found the twisted, light skinned blue eyed guy who'd apparently joined the ranks of her regular customers. "Go get ready, bitch," Taz said.

Lily pursed her mouth. "I gotta meet Hollywood."

Taz put his blunt in his lips. "That fuckin' cracker can wait. Go fucking get ready."

The redhead sucked her teeth, long and loud, watching all three men, Taz, Ty, and Sam, all wince ever so slightly. "The cracker's gonna be pissed," she said, sing song, and pulled out her phone. "He's probably gonna take more money off. But whatever."

"You should teach that bitch to speak only when spoken to," Sam said darkly, giving her a glance as she sipped from her bottle then headed back toward her room.

Lily heard Taz reply but didn't catch what he said, and went and quickly undressed and put some makeup on, sending Malfoy another text. _Change of plans, meet me at two instead_.

At two Lily saw Malfoy and Salts waiting outside the library and she tried not to think about the tall, broad shouldered, totally built blond with his black tee that fit in all the right places and his half smile under those intent dark grey eyes. She couldn't help it, she was thinking about him. And after she thought long enough, she was thinking about him naked. "Sorry for jerking you around, Hollywood, but I'm always on call."

One blond eyebrow lifted. "You don't have a set schedule?" he teased.

Lily lit a cigarette. "Kinda, but the new ones always need a second taste." She grimaced slightly, wishing 'Sir' Sam hadn't even bothered with the sample taste. He was only slightly better than Tiny because he was less well endowed, but just as mean and nasty.

"Let's go somewhere less public," Malfoy said with a tiny smirk, and they headed down the street.

Apparently somewhere 'less public' meant a grubby, garbage strewn alleyway that made Lily's nose turn up in distaste. "I should make you buy me new shoes after this shit," she said, stepping over a puddle that may or may not have been stagnant water.

"Again, please don't take offence, but this is the sort of backdrop most people picture when you say 'prostitute'," Malfoy said lightly. Lily snorted.

"Maybe cheap ones," she said with derision, and flicked her cigarette butt. "The fuck we talkin' about today?" she asked, picking at her nails.

"Let's talk about your family some more. We'll start with your brothers." Lily frowned again.

"What d'you wanna know?"

"Do you love them?"

She smirked. "Sure. They put frogs in my bed when I was eight, what's not to love, right? I dunno, they're my brothers, I figure deep down I gotta love 'em. They never let me hang out with them when we were kids, but sometimes, if the weather was shitty, we'd play knights and shit, and I always got to be the princess. We didn't really interact much when we were teens, unless we had to, but they were alright." Her smirk widened. "They used to pay me as a teenager to keep quiet when they threw parties if my parents were away."

"How many cousins do you have?"

Lily paused to count in her head. "Nine." Malfoy's brows shot up. "Side effect of having five uncles."

"Do you like your cousins?"

Lily chuckled. "For the most part? Not really. They're fucking lame and straight edge and shit. But on the whole, not bad, 'cause I only have to see them like three times a year usually. And it's not bad when we're all together, 'cause my dad's godson married my eldest cousin, and he's super fucking hot. Kind of a square, but real easy on the eyes."

Malfoy's mouth quirked down the tiniest bit. "And your uncles? You have five. Are they all on the same side?"

"Uh huh." Lily chewed the inside of her lip then lit another smoke, feeling anxious.

"Which side?"

"My mom's. She's the youngest. My dad was an only child, lucky bastard." The redhead forced her mouth up on one side. "My Gran said the only reason she had seven babies was 'cause she really wanted a daughter."

"Seven?" Lily nodded.

"My uncle Fred died when he was young. Him and my uncle George were twins."

"From what?"

Lily shrugged. "Dunno. No one talks about it. That's what my family does, Hollywood. We don't talk about shit." She exhaled smoke and grinned. "You got one of them open, talk about your feelings kinda families?"

"No," he said shortly and without inflection. Lily arched a brow, sensing a tension there. Good. "How much older are your uncles?"

Lily frowned, thinking, trying to remember. "My mom is forty five, so Ron is forty six, George is forty eight, Percy is fifty, and Bill's fifty three."

"That's only four."

Lily forced a smile. "Oh yeah. I always forget Charlie. He's fifty two, or will be in September."

"And do you get along with them?"

Lily shrugged, smile wavering for a beat. "Sure. Again, not like I see them much, right? And I mean, my uncle Percy is a fucking minister so that's just awkward. Not a lot in common."

"Which one do you like the most?"

The redhead pushed a hand through her hair, trying to feign indifference, wanting him to talk about any fucking thing else. "George." It was an easy win. "He's the only other one of the vanillas who likes chocolate dips." Her mouth quirked up. "Married a black lady, but she's kind of a wacko. All into politics and rights and shit like that, and weird hippie herbs, but not the smoking kind. But she's alright, and George always got me the best birthday presents as a kid. Things to prank my brothers with and shit."

"Which one do you like least?"

Lily's smile faded. "Dunno. Ron's kind of an asshole, Percy's got his nose pointed up God's asshole, and Bill is a chemistry teacher. Nerd alert."

"And Charlie?" Malfoy asked, looking up at her, and she took a long, hard pull off her cigarette, forcing herself not to react. She would gloss over him and move on.

"What about him?" She flicked her ash fiercely.

"Is he the least favourite uncle?"

Lily's mouth hardened and she took another long drag to control herself before answering. "He's on the short list."

"Why?"

Lily's eyes narrowed, but Malfoy just stared back steadily, those dark grey eyes intense and unwavering. "Just never liked him. Bad vibes." She took another drag from her smoke and huffed it out, tossing her hair.

"What sort of bad vibes?"

"The kind that make you wanna stay far away," she ground out, and glanced at the camera.

Malfoy looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned to Salts. "You wanna go grab me a coffee?" Lily's brows lifted but Salts shrugged and sauntered away. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it on camera."

"Talk about what?" she snapped.

Malfoy stared at her, solemn faced. "Please don't insult my intelligence. I've been doing this long enough that I can tell, and it's almost painfully obvious when you look like you're trying not to punch me in the face whenever I talk about it and like a deer in the headlights when I said his name."

Lily felt her lip start to wobble and pressed her mouth tight. "Then you should probably shut the fuck up about it or I will punch you in the fucking face."

"Do you always resort to anger to cover up your feelings?"

She grit her teeth. "No. Sometimes I resort to snorting as much coke as I can," she said acidly.

"It hurts less if you talk about it."

She snorted, flicking her cigarette. "Yeah? And you're a fucking expert? Fuck you, Hollywood, you don't know shit."

Lily made to push past him and ditch, and he didn't try to stop her, but he said quietly, "Not an expert, but I know plenty, Lily." She faltered in her outraged indignation, pausing. "I know you feel like you want to vomit the second someone talks about it. That you want to beat the crap out of something anytime you think about it. And that you cry when no one else is around, because showing weakness makes you vulnerable and the thought of letting anyone in is so terrifying, it's easier to just run away." She looked back at him, trying to hold back the tears that gathered on her mascara heavy lashes regardless. "And I know it gets easier if you talk about it."

"The fuck do you want me to say?" she asked, hands shaking, lip trembling despite her best efforts. The tears spilled down. "Huh? You want me to tell you what it's like to be a thirteen year old girl and have some fucking forty year old man tell you in one breath you're beautiful and in the next put his fucking hands all over you? You wanna know what it feels like to choke on a cock before you've ever even gotten your fucking period? Is that what you're after, Hollywood? What the fuck else do you want? You want to know about being kissed and rubbed and slobbered on by some disgusting fucking pervert who tells you all the shit little girls shouldn't even know about, like how you turn him on and he can't help himself and it's all your fault because you're too pretty?" She felt her chest heaving, hysteria bubbling up and over, the emotions raging out of control as a trickle became a steady flow and burst into a torrent she couldn't dam up. "Or would you rather I fucking told you what it's like to be fourteen and have your uncle pop your fucking cherry, fuck you while you're trying not to throw up and make any noise, and then leave you on the fucking bathroom floor at your own fucking birthday party?"

She could hardly see through the tears and wiped her face, cursing when her hands came away smeared with makeup. "I'd rather you tell me than keep it all to yourself and let it eat you alive," Malfoy said quietly. Lily sniffled and lit another cigarette with shaking hands, then looked up into his steady grey gaze, fear of repeating what had happened warring with exhaustion at having held it in so long. She didn't want to talk about it, but she couldn't hold it together anomore, that was for damn sure.

"Well I ain't fucking doing it in no shitty alley, that's for fucking sure," she said with an attempt at her usual bravado.

"I'll tell Salts to meet us at the Grandview." When they got to the hotel room, Salts was already there and Lily sat in the chair and pulled out the dime bag Taz had sent her with, tapping it all out onto the table, not caring that she was being filmed. She snorted it all, licked her fingers to pick up the rest and sucked it off. "Take your time," was all Malfoy said afterward and Lily sucked in a deep breath. She didn't want to do this. She'd refused any and every other time someone had tried to make her, even when she was in rehab. But there was something about Malfoy, and those dark grey eyes that gave away nothing and promised to hold her secrets. Something that made her want to trust him with them, just like Salts had said.

She swallowed, pushed a hand through her hair and stared unseeing at the bedspread across from her. "It started on my thirteenth birthday," she said, closing her eyes, remembering. "I was having my family party, because there's so many of us it would be insane adding a dozen extra kids. And because my birthday is in August, my parents always had a huge barbecue for it. It was a good party. My parents have a pool, so I'd been swimming all day, and I was excited 'cause my mom bought me my first ever two piece bathing suit for the party. I felt so grown up and shit." Her mouth quirked sadly.

"I had to use the bathroom, so I ran in, but someone was in the downstairs powder room. I went upstairs to use the main bathroom, and I had to pee bad, so I didn't think about the door being closed. I just walked right in." Her hand pushed through her dark red hair again. "My uncle Charlie was in there, and I felt really embarrassed, 'cause he was, y'know, hanging out completely. I couldn't even talk properly, I just felt so awkward. I tried to say sorry, but he kept saying it was okay." She sighed. "He asked if I had to use the bathroom, which made me even more embarrassed, but I said yeah, 'cause I really had to pee. He said just go ahead, it wasn't weird. But it was weird, 'cause his junk was still hanging out. But I didn't want to make a big scene or have everyone know I just walked in on him, right? So I went pee." She felt her nose running and sniffled. "Anyway, I went pee and I'm like blushing madly, 'cause it's super awkward and he's just watching me go pee. I finished and pulled up my bottoms and flushed and shit, and I go to wash my hands, and Charlie said, 'You're not a little kid anymore'. And I said, 'Yeah, I'm a teenager I guess', and started washing my hands." She shuddered, memories assaulting her, clogging her throat. "Then he said, 'You're not just a teenager, you're a young woman now'. I didn't know what to say to that, and it was still like ridiculously awkward, so I just turned to dry my hands and kinda smiled, hoping he would at least put his shit back in his pants."

Lily dug in her purse for a cigarette. "So after I dried my hands, I was thinking I could just slip out, he could do whatever it was he was doing and I'd forget all about it." Her jaw flexed as she clenched her teeth. "But I guess he had other plans. He said 'You're so pretty, Lily' and I said thanks, and he put his hand on my shoulder and rubbed it. I felt weird. I mean, it wasn't like he'd never touched my shoulder before, I used to hug him and shit all the time. I'd hugged him like an hour before after opening my presents. But it was weird 'cause his dick was still out and we were like alone in a bathroom. Then he said, 'You're going to be so beautiful', which made me feel even more awkward. I mean, people had said it before to me, but it was the _way_ he said it.

"I told him I had to go back downstairs, but he said, 'No one's going to miss you', and that's when I started to feel afraid." Lily pulled off her cigarette hard, puffing the smoke out furiously. "He started touching my other shoulder, rubbing them and shit, and he was breathing all heavy." A hard shudder wracked her frame and she hunched inward unconsciously. "He said, 'You look really good in that bathing suit. I noticed right away.' And I didn't know what to say, I just wanted to get away, but I was afraid if I just ran away, he'd tell everyone I walked in on him. Which I was still embarrassed about in the first place." Her hand shook as she took another drag off her smoke, early afternoon sunshine pouring in through the window glinting off her hair and the tears that slipped silently down her face. She stared at the bedspread, seeing not the ugly pink and gold roses, but the reflection of him, behind her in the mirror, and her own red face.

"He undid the tie up part behind my neck and kissed me where the bow had been." She fought down the nausea. "And then he pulled my top down, and I felt his...his fucking cock on my back." Her mouth hardened. "And he was fucking hard." Her mouth twisted, fighting the urge to gag. "And then he said, 'Lily, you're so beautiful', and he started touching my almost nonexistent boobs, they didn't grow in until I was already in high school, and he was like groaning and stuff. And I felt embarrassed, and sick, and really awkward, 'cause he was obviously getting off, not that I realized it then, but he just kept touching me and moaning and he kept saying 'You're so pretty'." She took a long pull off her smoke, wiping the tears away, jerking herself back into reality. "And then he came all over me, told me if I told anyone, no one would believe me and zipped his shit up and left. So I cleaned up and went downstairs and didn't tell anyone." Before Malfoy could say anything, her phone rang and Lily glanced at the display. "Fuck," she breathed, cleared her throat and then picked up. "What, Taz?" she snapped, forcing the sadness and tears and memories back down.

"Where the fuck you at bitch? You looked at a fucking clock?" Taz bellowed.

Lily grit her teeth. "I'm at the fucking Grandview, come and get me fuck face." She hung up on him and stood up. "I gotta go. I have to fix my face, Taz will flip," she muttered, feeling panicked and anxious.

"That's enough for today anyway," Malfoy said. Salts started taking down his camera shit and Lily moved to the bathroom to fix her face as best she could without the benefit of her makeup table. "I'm sorry, Lily," he said from the doorway.

"For what, Hollywood?" she said blandly, using a pack of travel wipes to clean her face from mascara smears and tear tracks. "You didn't fucking do shit."

"For pushing so hard. I don't like doing it."

She shrugged, reapplying eyeliner. "You gotta do what you gotta do, right? 'Sides, that might be the difference between winning and losing at the Oscars, so you're welcome."

He smirked when she at last turned toward him. "If our film gets nominated you can come as my guest," he said sarcastically. She smirked a little back.

"The fuck you mean 'if', Hollywood? I got good fucking bone structure and this shit's provocative and edgy. You'll get nominated, and I'll take you up on that offer. I ain't never seen Johnny Depp up close, but I'd sure fucking like to. He's kinda hot for an old guy."

She slid into the passenger seat of Taz's car and found him in a shitty mood. "You look like shit, bitch," he growled. "The fuck you doin' with this movie shit? You been fuckin' crying or some shit?"

"It's called acting, motherfucker," she snapped back, feeling defensive. Taz hated when she cried and she'd learned not to do it around him. "Hollywood's paying the money, so I'm makin' his shit look good."

"I don't wanna hear about fucking Hollywood anymore, got it bitch? Get your fucking shit together, we're goin' to Murphy's." Lily's lip curled, and she was tempted to ask why, but she knew it could only be for one reason.

"Ty get jumped again?" she asked, putting her feet up on the dash after lighting a smoke for him.

"Same little fucking punks, too," Taz snarled. Lily didn't reply. "Those fucking little WOP bastards."

The redhead felt her blood run cold, remembering the Italian guy who'd stuck a gun in her face. "Maybe using Ty to run shit isn't-"

Taz, like lightning, reached out and grabbed her hair, hard. "The fuck you saying, bitch?" he growled, tugging her head back ruthlessly. "Are you tryin' to fucking tell me how to fucking run my goddamn business shit, bitch?"

She felt tears of pain springing to her eyes from his hold and clenched her jaw, snarling through gritted teeth, "He's a fucking kid, Taz." His hand twisted painfully.

"That little nigga got more time on the fucking streets dealing and running than he got being a fucking kid. Shut your fucking mouth, bitch, or I'll fucking shut it for you." He threw her back into the seat and exhaled smoke roughly. "Stupid fucking coke whore, I should fucking beat you twelve ways to Sunday."

Lily, emotions still churning, forced herself to say nothing, and stewed with a mutinous expression the entire way to Murphy's. Taz slapped her when they pulled to a stop. "Don't fucking touch me," she snapped, getting out of the car.

Taz caught up to her on the ragged, sagging front stoop to the barely habitable double wide that hadn't moved in at least Lily's lifetime, grabbing her by the throat and pulling her close. "I ain't fucking around, Lily. You got a nice fucking thing goin', but I fucking made you, bitch, and if I have to, I'll fucking unmake you and put you out on that skinny white ass faster than you can say nigger. You got that, bitch?"

"I fucking got it," she said, trying to push her emotions down, trying to think only about her bottle, frosty, delicious, and mind numbing, at home, or the blow she'd be able to snort whenever the fuck she did Lord only knew what with the most disgusting human being Lily had ever met. Instead all she could think about was a pair of steady grey eyes, dark and forbidding as a thundercloud, but oddly comforting. Like an oncoming storm after a drought. Forbidding but a comfort nonetheless.

An hour later they were on the way back to the apartment, and Lily had gotten her fix. And, surprisingly, it wasn't half bad shit, considering it was Murphy. When they got in, Ty was there, playing video games, smoking a blunt. Lily winced when he turned to say hi, because his face looked _bad_. Like he'd been curb stomped.

She took her bottle out and chugged until she couldn't take the burn and winced harder at the blaze of oncoming oblivion. Lily passed Ty the bottle wordlessly as she sat on his good side and he drank without flinching. "Thanks, Red," he mumbled, only using half his mouth.

She took another long pull of her own, trying not to relive her interview. The memories kept bubbling up, the dark box she'd locked them away in for so long broken open. She snorted a line and went to shower, forcing herself to think only of her coming evening. It almost worked.

Lily was in the car the next morning after a long night spent with 'Sir' Sam at his place, where even the five hundred bucks he'd paid had barely been worth what she'd done, when her phone rang. The display said it was her mother. "Fucking shoot me now," she muttered, and cast Taz a warning look as she picked up with a stiff, "Hello, Mom."

"Hi, Lily, honey. Did I wake you?" she asked warmly.

"No, Mom, I'm in the car," she said. "What's up?"

"We're having family dinner tomorrow, don't worry, just us Potters, and I wanted to know if you'd like to come."

Lily bit back a curse and pulled off her cigarette. "I don't know, Mom, I'm usually kinda busy on Saturdays." Taz raised his brows as if to say 'obviously'. Lily felt a stab of guilt as her mother sighed. "What time? It'd have to be early."

Taz narrowed his eyes. "Of course, honey, we can make it for four. Does that work?"

"Four… Um," she glanced at Taz who glared, then shrugged. "Yeah, that should work. I'd have to run by like six though."

"You can come early, honey, and we can talk and spend some girl time." Lily rolled her eyes. "Are you going to bring your gentleman friend?"

Lily almost choked. "My what?"

"Your gentleman friend, honey. When I had lunch with Hermione and Rose last week, Rose mentioned you told her you're seeing someone. That you've been seeing him awhile." Lily heard the accusation under the light tone and wanted to punch Rose's stupid face in then crush her under her high heels. "Is he available to join us?"

"He has to work," she said shortly. Because there was no way that could happen. Lily couldn't even picture Taz at her parents' house. He'd probably steal something.

"That's too bad. Another time then. We'll talk more about it tomorrow. Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"No, no, that's fine Mom. I'll try to come early, but I'll be there for sure at four."

"Alright, honey," Ginny Potter said brightly. "We'll see you then. I love you, Lily."

"You too, Mom. Bye." She hung up and felt Taz glaring at her. "What?"

"The fuck your mama inviting you over for shit so much all of a sudden for?" he grumbled. Lily shrugged.

"How the fuck should I know? I'm fucking dumb coke whore."

Taz smirked. "Amen to that, bitch." She glared.

When they got upstairs, Lily saw Ty, his face still battered and looking impossibly worse, and his mini bitch, who was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, but wearing her whore clothes. The redhead snorted, pulled out her bottle and drank some, then frowned when her phone rang again. It was Malfoy. "Hi," she said shortly, grabbing her purse and bottle and making a beeline for her room.

"Do you have a spare moment for an interview?" Lily frowned, but knew she wouldn't get the chance to talk again before dinner with her parents and brothers.

"Um, probably. I'll have to get back to you, I don't know for sure, I just got home. I'll text you back."

"Alright."

After a shower and two very fat lines that shot chemical euphoria straight to her brain, calming her and making her feel instantly great, she asked Taz what she had lined up.

"You gotta take the mini bitch to be evaluated. And I ain't hearing anything else on it." He puffed his blunt as he measured and weighed the dope into dime bags. Lily frowned and pulled out her phone, tapping out a response to Hollywood. "Who the fuck you typing a novel to?" Taz grouched. Hazel eyes rolled.

"Fucking Santa Claus," she grumbled back.

"Bitch, you ain't even made the naughty list, you on the nasty bitch list."

Ty snickered and Lily glared at him, then looked at the girl. She looked hollow eyed. "Well if you gonna get evaluated, I gotta make sure you look good. C'mon, mini bitch," Lily said, standing up, and half dragged the girl back to her room and shut the door. "The fuck is wrong with you?" she hissed.

"I'm high," the girl muttered, then looked down.

"Get your shit together. You look like a goddamn zombie." Lily pointedly didn't look at her own reflection. "You gotta fix your hair." The girl sighed, but sat up and let Lily fix her hair. After a long moment, Lily said, "You like pain pills 'cause they make you feel nothing, right?"

The girl almost smiled. "Uh huh."

"I like coke, 'cause it makes you feel like you can do everything. You know what that helps me do?"

"What?"

"Keep all that emotional shit inside. You lock it up and you don't let it out in your mind until you're by your fucking self. You think on that shit it's gonna drive you fucking crazy, Baby."

The girl stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Got it."

"So lock that shit up, perk the fuck up, and try sniffing coke if you wanna be doing drugs. No niggas wanna see you lookin' all sad eyed and floppy. You're a fucking flower, don't wilt."

The girl smirked at that. "That's funny. Wilt."

Lily shrugged. "You wanna be successful or you wanna wind up suckin' dick on the streets for change?"

Baby shrugged. "S'long as I'm high, don't matter."

"Then eyes on the prize, baby Lolita. Focus the fuck up. Being high costs money." Lily slapped her lightly. "Put some blush on."

The evaluation was at some piece of shit motel that looked abandoned, and by the way the three men eyed up the little Latina girl, Lily had a pretty good idea what the evaluation would be. Lily took her aside to give her 'a mini bitch pep talk', and whispered, "You know what you're doing and what they're gonna do to you, right?" She tried not to grab the girl too hard by the arm. Baby shrugged.

"Sure. They'll do whatever, and I'll play along and be efficient. I ain't dumb."

Lily wanted to tell her not to do it, to run home to her mama and never look at Ty or her or Taz ever again, but instead she nodded. "Alright. Remember, lock that shit up."

They waited, Lily impatiently, in one room while next door the 'evaluation' took place. The guys came back in and Lily slipped out, heart beating in her throat. The girl was getting dressed. "How do you lock the shit up when you gotta relive it?" she asked softly, spotting Lily hovering in the doorway. The redhead pretended she didn't notice the girl was wiping her eyes.

Lily swallowed. At least she was alive and coherent. "You force it down, and think of lots of shit on top of it. And you snort blow." Once she had her little dress back on, Lily took Baby's arm and half dragged her to the bathroom, fished out her dime bag and tipped out a heavy bump. She held out her section of straw. "No matter what the niggers say, you did good."

The girl seemed to hesitate for a second, then took the straw, closed one nostril and sniffed the little pile back, coughed, sniffled, coughed again and blinked, rubbing her nose. The redhead smirked. "That shit feels weird."

"That's how you know you're about to feel great, Baby," Lily said. "C'mon, we gotta go back."

They went back to the room. The evaluation committee had left and Ty looked a little sour. "So?" Lily asked, lighting a cigarette after a beat of silence. "How the fuck did my protege do?"

"She didn't fail," Taz said simply. Ty didn't comment and Lily rolled her eyes.

When they got back to the apartment Lily chugged some of her bottle and said she wanted another one. Taz glared. "You're fucking out of control," he said.

Lily grinned and leaned in. "I'll even walk my ass out and get it. I just need money, babe."

Taz gave her a twenty. "Bring me back my fucking change, bitch. And take the mini with you. Ty and I gotta talk business."

Ty still looked sour, but Lily shrugged, stuffed the twenty in her bra and went out to the corner mart with Baby. "You're right, this shit makes me feel great," Baby whispered. Lily grinned, picked up a bottle from the cooler and walked to the counter. The middle eastern man behind it frowned at her.

"You got ID?" he asked with a thick accent.

"C'mon, Boss, you know me," she said coyly.

"You gotta have ID."

Lily sucked her teeth and dug in her purse, then slapped her driver's license down, leaning over, making sure her boobs spilled out of her low cut shirt. "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not, Boss," she purred. The guy scowled and she smirked.

"Fourteen fifty."

Lily fished the twenty out from her bra and held it up between her fore and middle fingers. "Can I have a bag?" she asked, lifting onto her toes, breasts all but falling out.

The brown guy scowled some more but put her bottle in a brown paper bag. "Have good day," he grumbled, handing her change back. Lily winked.

"You too, Boss." She laughed when she hit the sidewalk. "I love that guy, he fucking hates me," she murmured, and pulled out her cell, tapping out a message to Malfoy. _I might have a second. Call me in ten._

Her bottle went into the freezer and Lily moved behind Taz as he weighed shit out for his customers who waited patiently. "When do I gotta work?" she asked softly as he worked, rubbing his shoulders.

"Six."

His customers paid up and opened one of the two eight ball bags to sniff right away. It was a couple, not much older than Lily, who smacked of toeing the line between users and junkies. Taz put his blunt in his lips as she rubbed him, trying and failing not to think about her last interview. "How many tonight?" she murmured.

"Three, but the last one is Joe. He'll have his shit first light, and I'll be picking your ass up early, so don't be sleeping in, bitch."

"Okay," she said easily. Ty and Baby left with the customers and Lily climbed over the back of the couch to sit beside her man. He picked up his video game controller and she snuggled up on his lap.

"You ain't having shit, bitch," he muttered, slouching back.

"Fuck you, Taz," she murmured. "Ungrateful motherfucker."

"Fuck you too, Lily, ungrateful bitch." He passed her the blunt and she puffed, suppressing a smirk when her phone rang.

"Least I'm popular," she said, handing the blunt back and sitting up to answer. "Hello?"

"Please don't say yes and then no again, that's possibly the height of rude to a filmmaker," Malfoy drawled, but she heard the note of amusement.

"You should be used to that shit, Hollywood. You're a fuckin' cracker, it probably happens anytime you whip it out." Taz frowned and she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.

"So vulgar. Ask your Taz if you can come out to chat."

She scowled, but moved the phone aside. "Hollywood wants to chit chat."

"Then go chit chat with the cracker and get your fuckin' ass back here on time. Keep the green rolling in, bitch."

"No need to repeat that, I heard," Malfoy said with evident distaste. Lily felt her eyes narrow, temper flaring. "I'll come pick you up."

Lily's brows shot up a bit at that but shrugged and hung up. Taz gave her a suspicious look as she bounced up and went to go make sure she looked good and then came back out for a sip and a sniff. The sip she got no problem, but Taz was having none of the sniff business. "You know I'm coming home with lots of cash tonight," she cajoled.

"No. I'm gonna need my shit, bitch. You can fucking wait 'til you get back." Lily felt her temper flaring, but pushed it down.

"Okay," she breathed, moving in to kiss his neck, mouth moving up in tandem with her hand up his thigh. "Do _you_ need anything before I go, babe?" she purred.

"Fuckin' whore," he mumbled, but when she stroked his crotch, he was half hard.

"Especially for you," she said, smirking a little, and nipped him gently. "So what do you need babe?"

"I need you to stop flappin' your lips and put them on my fucking dick, bitch," he growled, pulling her in and kissing her roughly, then guiding her head downward.

Lily got her blow to go after Taz got his blow, and when the redhead got to the sidewalk, she saw a black Mustang, shiny and nice and distinctly expensive looking. She assumed it had to be Hollywood, or someone just got their car jacked. Indeed when she leaned into the passenger window and saw him, she smirked, and opened the door. "This is a nice car," Lily murmured.

"You bet," he said, looking at her expectantly. "And in the case of a collision, I would hate to have your brain matter splattered all over the interior. Do up your seat belt."

Lily felt her brows go up and she sucked her teeth, but did up the stupid, restrictive seat belt. "Not gonna get in a crash unless you drive like a damn fool," she muttered.

Malfoy merely pulled away from the curb, not quite frowning. "Unless some drunk asshole crashes into me."

Lily rolled her eyes. "So where we goin'?" she asked, not even bothering to ask if he minded if she smoked. She knew it would be a no.

"The boardwalk." Lily frowned, because it was always crowded with people, but as he drove, she realized he must mean a different boardwalk. A half hour later he parked at what looked like a rest stop. A freeway rumbled behind them. There were picnic benches on a little paved area, public bathrooms that looked locked up, some sad looking grass, and beyond, a spit of beach and the water. Waves crashed and competed with the sound of the freeway.

When they got to the sand, Lily saw there was, indeed, a very old, weather beaten boardwalk nestled into the sand. "I have to be back at five thirty," she said, lighting a cigarette.

"Fair enough."

Lily took a long drag, the breeze carrying the smoke away as she exhaled. "So why the fuck we way out here? If you gonna try some shit, it's gonna cost you."

His mouth quirked down. "I don't make it a habit to pay for sex," he said lightly, but there was a hint of derision. She shrugged.

"Then why come all the way out here?"

His mouth quirked up now. "This is the place I feel most calm, and I'm hoping it'll have the same effect on you."

Lily snorted, because that sounded like something a hippie might say, but she had to admit, the sound of the waves was soothing. "Alright. We talking 'bout my uncle Lester the Molester again?" she asked, trying to be nonchalant. He frowned.

"Don't do that." He sounded pissed again.

"Do what?"

"Don't play it off like it's a joke." She felt her cheeks smart with hurt a little and pulled hard on her smoke as a hand pushed through her hair.

"Yeah, well, it's my fucking life, Hollywood, and I'd rather fuckin' laugh about it than start crying again."

Malfoy was fiddling with his camera and then set it down slowly. "That doesn't work," he said after a long moment. Her brows pulled together.

"What?"

"That doesn't work," he repeated, and looked at her steadily. "You can laugh all you like, but at some point it stops being funny, and then you forget how to laugh at everything."

Lily pulled off her smoke. "So what's your deal, then? You got baggage. Let's hear a piece."

"That's not the purpose of this-"

"Fuck the purpose," she said over him. "You want full disclosure? Me too, fuck face. So start chatting, Hollywood. I ain't giving all my shit for free."

Malfoy smirked a little at her. "Fine," he said lightly and shifted, then sat down on the sand. Lily sat beside him, sure she'd have sand in her ass crack with her itty bitty short shorts. He took a breath with the air of someone repeating a story they've told before and perfected. "I'm an alcoholic. I started drinking when I was twelve. I don't remember any of my senior year, because I was shitfaced the entire time. I look at photos and there's nothing, it's all blank." Lily's brows shot up. "I dropped out of college after two months to be a bartender and for three years used just about every drug I can think of and got blackout drunk every single night. And then one day I woke up in a jail cell with no idea how I'd gotten there." He frowned and Lily pulled off her smoke. "I beat the shit out of a cabbie at five in the morning when I was drunk and he was on life support for two weeks."

Lily stared, trying to make the mental image of that person fit with the man who sat beside her. "Did he die?" she asked, then wanted to kick herself.

"No. He's a paraplegic though." His mouth thinned, eyes narrowing. "And that's when I knew I had to get sober, because when I went to go apologize to the guy, who literally was just trying to make sure I got inside alright, he was the one who apologized to me."

Lily frowned. "The fuck did that guy ap-?"

"He said he was sorry life dealt me such a shitty hand that I'd given up already. I was only twenty three when it happened." Malfoy shook his head. "He was sitting in a fucking wheelchair and he apologized to me. And after that meeting, I checked into rehab." His mouth quirked up. "After I went home and drank all the liquor I could find, of course. One last hurrah, and all."

She outed her smoke and let out a breath. "Shit," she breathed.

"Yeah." Lily bit her lip, glancing up at him as he resumed fiddling with his little camera.

"Why were you an alcoholic?" she asked softly.

His mouth tilted. "Five guesses." He cast her a significant look and she nodded slowly. It didn't have to be said aloud. "Okay, we're good. Are you ready?" he said at last, and when Lily looked back at his eyes, they were steady as ever, although less forbidding. And she felt something, a rush of something warm in her chest and throat.

"Yeah," she said throatily.

XXX


	6. Chapter 6

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.

XXX

The next day Taz dropped her off at the 7-11 nearest her parents' house, which was still quite a hike, but she bought a pack of smokes and turned her feet toward her childhood home, getting there in no time. It was almost three when she rang the doorbell, feeling her buzz from the fat line she'd snorted in the car starting to dwindle as her anxiety skyrocketed.

"Lily," James said tersely after opening the door. The redhead smirked, and breezed in, but her older brother caught her arm lightly. "I need to talk to you for a second."

She frowned, but paused and pushed her sunglasses up. "What?" His mouth hardened and he looked as though he was braced for something uncomfortable.

"Marie is here with the baby," he said softly, looking just over her shoulder. Lily felt her mouth drop open.

"She had the baby?" she demanded. James's wife had been pregnant at the stupid barbecue thing still.

James looked grouchy. "Yes, she had the baby, two days after the barbecue." Lily felt as though she'd been slapped that not only had no one called to tell her she was an aunt, but she hadn't even known her sister in law was that close to popping the thing out.

"So why are we standing here?" she demanded. "I wanna see my nephew."

James looked down, almost guiltily and Lily's stomach dropped with his eyes. "You can see him," James said slowly, "but you can't hold him."

The redhead felt her temper flare up dangerously and sucked in a deep breath. "Really," she said, folding her arms.

James looked determined now. "Really," he said firmly. "Which is why I'm telling you now so as to avoid a big uncomfortable scene." Lily felt her mouth pursing. "And before you ask why, when's the last time you did drugs, Lily? I'm not an idiot, I know when you're high." She grit her teeth. "So do we understand each other?"

She forced herself to smile. "Completely. And next time I don't come to this shit, you can tell Mom it's because you don't want me around," she said, trying not to growl the words, and moved into the living room properly. Her mother was snuggling the sleepy infant who had a grumpy, old man type expression and a shock of dark hair. "Oh my God, cutest baby ever," she gushed, and rubbed a thumb over his downy hair. Ginny beamed.

"You have to snuggle him, he gives the best hugs already," she said sitting up, and Lily forced a smile.

"No, he'll wake up, and I don't know what the f- heck to do with a crying baby. Besides, you're Nana, right? You have dibs, Mom." She smiled at her sister in law. "And you're already back to normal, Marie. You look amazing, congrats."

Ginny and Marie both beamed and Lily shot her eldest brother a dark look. She tried not to be offended, tried not to let her feelings be hurt, but it was impossible. She wanted to snuggle the newborn's soft warmth against her, breathe in his smell of innocence, and maybe take a nap with the little fucker. He was perfectly adorable and her heart ached. Lily knew where James was coming from, understood his point of view entirely, but she wasn't on fucking shrooms, or PCP or anything. She just wanted to hold her goddamn baby nephew! She ran a hand through her hair, edgy and uncomfortable, despite growing up in the house. She could almost feel the tension pumping through her veins, the big elephant in the room everyone knew but no one ever talked about looming, sucking up all the available oxygen.

After a few minutes the baby woke up, making a pitiful crying noise that literally made Lily's stomach clench with longing, and Ginny handed the baby off to his mother. "See, Mom," she said lightly, "he'd have woken up on me for sure."

"Everyone has instincts," Ginny said. Her father cleared his throat and Lily barely refrained from rolling her eyes.

"So what did you name the little fu-fuzz head?" Lily finally asked.

"Felix Alexander," Marie said proudly, patting the tiny baby's back. "James lost the coin flip." James sighed.

"Although I still say Alexander Felix sounds better," he said.

"But not as good as Albus Felix," Albus added.

Lily sat back on the couch and looked at her fresh manicure. She'd gone lighter this time, a vibrant shade of teal, and wasn't sure she liked it. The conversation kept revolving around the baby, understandably, but Lily was over it. If she couldn't hold the fuzzy headed little bastard, she didn't much want to discuss him. "I'm just going to sneak out back for a cigarette," she said quietly to her mother. "I'll be back in five."

She went through the kitchen doors sighing, and had just lit up her cigarette when she heard the sliding door open again, then close. Lily glanced round and was shocked to see her sister in law. "I'm sorry, Lily," Marie whispered, sitting down next to Lily on the little bench. The redhead shrugged.

"I get it," she mumbled, because she did, even if it hurt.

"I told James he was being paranoid," she said after moment. "I don't think you'd drop him or anything. Like your mom said, everyone has instincts."

Lily didn't know what to say so she shrugged and said, "Really, I get it, Marie."

Marie gnawed her lower lip for a moment. "Can I steal the teeniest tiniest drag?" she whispered and Lily looked shocked. "You can't tell James, and even if you do, no offence, he'll believe me over you. I told him I quit when I got pregnant, and I tried, really hard, but the hormones were stressful. So after the morning sickness I kind of...kept smoking. In secret. I cut back," she added quickly, "and Felix was almost nine pounds, I think he's good. But you know James."

Lily smiled a little bit and held out her smoke. "Go for it. You had an almost nine pound baby, my brother should've bought you a carton."

Marie giggled, took a couple drags and sighed. "God that's good." Lily dug in her purse and pulled out gum. Marie accepted a piece and chewed thoughtfully. "I feel like I'm in high school again."

Lily smirked. "Weren't you dating James's best friend in high school?"

Marie shrugged. "Young and foolish. I smoked a lot of cigarettes on this deck, though."

Lily took a long drag, glanced over her shoulder, and pulled a flask from the depths of her purse. "Shh," she whispered conspiratorially, and took a long pull, barely wincing, thankful she'd brought her liquor. Marie's brows pulled together.

"Is it safe to be drinking and doing drugs at the same time?" she asked, sounding very much like a concerned parent.

Lily snorted. "Who knows? I'm not a fucking doctor, so I sure as hell don't. 'Sides, hasn't killed me yet, probably won't now."

Marie frowned. "Don't you want to get sober?" she asked. Lily shrugged.

"Tried that once. It didn't last."

"I know, James told me. Why not? What changed?"

"Nothing. That's why it didn't work," she said and took another drink and put her flask away. "Anyway, could be worse." Marie was still frowning. "I could be a heroine junkie with needles and shit. Then I could see James's paranoia being a little more legit." Lily took a long drag. "You want a last puff?"

Marie hesitated, then pulled out her gum, took a drag and huffed it out, popping her gum back in. "You're not half bad, Lily," Marie said after Lily finished her cigarette.

"Naw, I'm pretty much all bad, I'm just not a monster, despite what my brother has told you."

Lily managed to make it through dinner without a single snide remark, and was feeling accomplished she'd held her temper in check so long, considering she'd been mostly sober the entire time and thoroughly edgy. She took her leave as James and Marie and little baby Felix headed out, and kissed her nephew's soft head and stroked his cheek as he slept on, oblivious, looking like an old man again. "Bye little man," she murmured to him as James and Marie hugged people. "Aunty loves you."

"Not as much as she loves herself," James said under his breath as he lifted the car seat. Lily glared, mouth curving down.

"You got lots to say, Jamie," she drawled casually. "Especially since you don't know shit."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, Lily."

"You don't," she said lightly. "Not about me anyways."

"I wonder why," he shot back as Lily hugged her mom and one-arm hugged her father, then headed out in her brother's wake.

"Because you never bother to ask," she said.

"Because you never bother to even pretend you give a shit about anyone else. Why should we give a shit about you?" His eyes narrowed as Marie took the car seat and moved to put the baby in. "You might not remember visiting our mother in a mental hospital, but I do. Oh wait, that's right, you never went to visit her. You know how I know that? Every time I went she asked me about you, asked why you hadn't come to visit her yet. All she cares about now is you, and your drinking, and your drug problem, and whatever fucking loser you're living with now. All she does is worry about whether you're going to die from the drugs and the drinking or some fucking piece of shit beating you to death. And you could fucking care less."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Fuck you, James."

"No, fuck you, Lily. You got issues and shit? Join the fucking club. You want me to get it? You want me to know shit? Then stop pushing everyone away."

Lily blinked. "Fine," she said lightly. "Just do me one favour?"

He looked fed up. "What?" her older brother snapped.

Lily swallowed. "If you ever see a documentary by some guy named Scorpius Malfoy about hookers, you should watch it. It'll be informative." She strode down the driveway as he stared after her and told herself she wouldn't cry. She lit a smoke, pulled out her flask and drained it, wishing she had more, lots more.

She called Taz to pick her up at the 7-11 and snorted the last of her dime bag before he was even out of the parking lot. When they got home, she did two more lines and hustled to get ready as Taz hollered at her to hurry the fuck up.

"I'm fucking coming you goddamn motherfucker," she snarled, stomping out.

He spanked her ass, hard, as they headed out. He would drop her off at her first stop before doing deliveries. "Shut the fuck up, bitch. You need to snort less and eat more, your ass is shrinking, bitch." Lily rolled her eyes.

"No one expects a white bitch to have ass," she snarked. "And I still got tits to spare, so fuck you, Taz."

He smirked as they got downstairs. "Still. Them tits be gettin' any smaller, you gonna start losing customers, bitch." She shrugged.

"I'll get a boob job."

Taz snorted. "On who the fuck's dime you think that's gonna happen?" She merely tossed her hair.

"I got ways."

The next morning, Lily woke up feeling distinctly hung over. She sat up blearily, rubbed a hand over her face and reached for a cigarette. Joe snored softly beside her. The half empty bottle of tequila stared her down. "Fuck me," she breathed, stood on aching legs and got dressed in her clothes from the night before. She needed a sniff, but she knew Joe wouldn't have even a crumb. She fixed herself up as best she could in the bathroom and used the facilities.

Her phone rang as she was heading out, Taz's weed in her purse, having been delivered at first light around four thirty. And Lily reckoned it wasn't a bad night, drinking and fucking with Joe, as far as nights went.

When she got into the car, she gave Taz the money and weed, slumping in the seat. "You look like shit," he said, smirking.

"I'm hung over," she grumbled. "Drive. I want breakfast."

"Light me a smoke, bitch," Taz said as he pulled into traffic.

Lily felt marginally better after a greasy breakfast sandwich and hash brown and some vodka spiking her OJ, and after two lines, she felt great. "What do I got today?" she asked, sitting back on the couch.

"Nothin'. You got Tiny coming at five. He said he had a real stressful week, so he's probably gonna wanna double up." Lily's lip curled, because that was not a pleasant sounding evening. Taz chuckled. "Thought you loved big black dick, you fucking whore."

Lily glared. "I love your big black dick and I like most big black dick. That motherfucker is just a fucking freak of nature." Taz shook his head, grinning.

"That ain't nice."

"Ain't wrong either," she muttered, and he patted her thigh.

"The fuck you so interested in the schedule for anyway?"

Lily shrugged, picking at her nails. "Just wondering. I wanna finish the movie bullshit, 'cause it's fucking with me." Taz frowned. "It's making me think about shit and I don't wanna fucking do that."

Taz scowled darkly. "What kinda shit?"

"It doesn't fucking matter, 'cause I don't wanna think it!" she snarled. "Jesus fucking Christ, Taz, pay attention! I don't wanna talk about all my life bullshit for another fucking month or whatever."

"So go fucking do it all in one fucking go and stop acting like a psycho bitch!"

Lily frowned. "Taz, that'd be like a whole fucking night. I don't even know if that would be long enough. The guy asks a fucking million questions, about everything! Fuck!" She sucked in a deep breath, not even particularly mad at the movie thing, but she wanted to have that done too. She was mad at stupid James for not even letting her hold his goddamn baby. Mad that he thought he fucking knew her so well he could just pile on some extra helpings of guilt, like it was all her fault. She frowned, eyes stinging. God, she hadn't cried so much since she was a fucking kid.

"You losin' it, bitch," Taz said dismissively. Lily got up and tipped some more vodka into her orange juice and downed it.

"I lost it a long fucking time ago, Taz," she said, lighting a smoke as she sat back down.

Taz snorted. "Fuckin' right. Still, the fuck's up lately, bitch? You fucking crazier than normal."

Lily toyed with a lock of hair, then tucked her knees up, frowning at some split ends. "My brother and his wife just had a baby," she muttered at last.

"So?" Taz shot back. "The fuck's that gotta do with you?"

She grit her teeth, tossed her hair aside and pulled hard off her cigarette. "And nobody fucking even bothered to tell me. And 'cause I'm a fucking cokehead they wouldn't let me hold the little fucker."

"That's some fucked up shit," Taz muttered. "My cousin had a baby and that bitch smoked crack. They let her hold her fucking baby, not that she fuckin' wanted to."

Lily felt her lip wobbled and firmed it up. "Yeah well, it's fucking bullshit," she muttered.

"Suck it up, bitch, life is bullshit." She rolled her eyes. "Call up Hollywood and go do your movie shit. I got people comin' and I gotta set some shit up."

"Whatever," she muttered, and pulled out her phone, but called Malfoy. An hour later they were at the park again, with Salts, and Lily had done a fat line that pushed thoughts of her brother and his baby down far enough she could ignore them.

"Today I'd like to talk about the future." Lily frowned, crossing her legs as she sat on a bench.

"Sure," she said lightly. "What part?"

Salts nodded that he was ready. "How long do you see yourself being a prostitute for?"

Lily snorted. "'Til no one wants to pay for it," she said automatically.

"And then what?" Malfoy asked.

Lily shrugged. "Then I'll hafta find some new profession, won't I?" she replied, smirking.

"Like what?"

The redhead grinned. "I dunno. Maybe I'll train mini whores, like I said," she replied, and rolled her eyes.

Malfoy's expression didn't change, but when she looked back into his eyes, they no longer seemed remotely comforting. "So you'd go from prostitute to madam?"

Lily snorted, feeling defensive. "Maybe. Movin' on up the ladder and shit, y'know. Gotta fucking think ahead like that."

"Do you think about where your life would be now if you'd stayed sober?"

"No."

"Think about it now." Lily sent Malfoy a dark look, but did think about it. If she hadn't drank a drop at prom, or forever thereafter. She would've avoided that unfortunate experience the summer before college, certainly. And she would've probably graduated college by now. Her heart constricted when she thought, against her will, that she'd be able to hold James's baby. Her nephew. She swallowed.

"I'd probably be working a real job I s'pose," she said at last.

"What did you go to college for?"

Her mouth quirked up. "You're gonna laugh, Hollywood."

"Never."

Lily giggled a little. "It's kinda funny, really. I won't get pissed if you do laugh." She glanced at Salts. "You guess, Salty. What d'you think I'd be doin' now if I wasn't a fucking coke whore?"

Salts shrugged, camera not moving. "Accounting," he said. Lily laughed.

"Nope. Not even close." She glanced back at Malfoy, genuinely amused now. "You guess, Hollywood. You ain't gonna be able to, but have a try."

Malfoy regarded her for a moment and she smiled, smug he would never guess. "Counselling."

Her brows lifted a bit. "That's pretty fuckin' close. Huh, not as dumb as you are slick after all." Lily grinned. "I was going for my early childhood education degree, to specialize in child and youth counselling." She chuckled. "You know those fucking old ladies they always had as guidance counsellors? I was gonna be one of them, but not a fucking stuffy old biddy. I was gonna be cool, 'cause I figured I could relate to the real shit." Malfoy looked at her for a moment and Lily felt her smile fade, blushing a little, because she felt embarrassed when he stared at her now. Fuck, she was a fucking coke whore, talking about wanting to counsel kids and shit. She lit a cigarette and shrugged, adding, "But, y'know, that shit clearly didn't happen. Probably a good thing."

"Why is that?"

Lily shrugged again. "Look at me. I'm a goddamn coke whore. Even if I got my shit together, who the fuck gonna think it's a good idea to let me talk to kids?" She snorted and shook her head, glaring at her nails.

"Why would it be a bad idea?" he pushed. "You said yourself, you can relate to the heavy shit."

Lily smiled, but it was pure self deprecation. "Ain't nobody gonna be cool with a former coke whore giving their fucking kids advice. Same as people not being cool with a cokehead whore holding their babies." The words were out before she could stop them and she almost bit her tongue in half, then glanced at Salts. "Not you. Well, maybe you, but no offence."

"Who?" Malfoy asked with interest.

"No one," she said blandly. "I'm just sayin', it's on the list of 'Not Happening'." A woman was coming down the path, pushing a stroller with an infant, and a toddler clomped along, holding the side of the stroller, looking bored. "Just watch, this lady gonna take one look at me and move her kid to the other side," Lily muttered. She'd seen it before.

She tossed her hair and pulled hard on her smoke, but conjured up a polite smile for the lady as she approached. As expected, the woman reached down for the toddler's hand and brought the kid around to the other side of the stroller, walking a tiny bit faster. Lily snorted and puffed her cigarette, and the kid looked back, then waved until the lady reminded him to hold onto the stroller tight. Lily smiled a little.

"See?" she said. "Told you. People don't want coke whores near their fuckin' kids."

"So what else would you do, assuming you got clean and sober and all that?" Malfoy asked. Lily shrugged.

"Probably something boring and white bread like everyone else in my family." She fiddled with the zipper pull on her purse and sighed. "It doesn't matter, 'cause it's not gonna happen," she said after awhile.

"Where do you see yourself in a year?"

Lily smirked. "Same shit different day most likely. Fucking for money, doing blow, maybe starting my mini 'ho business. I don't fucking know."

"Do you think you'll stay with Taz?"

Lily shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I'll get back together with Ian and live the high life of comfort for a bit. Who the fuck knows? That's why I don't think about the future Hollywood. I don't got time to be wondering where the fuck I'm gonna be in a year. I'm worried about being here, right now, and maybe about what I gotta go do tonight. Past that, it's anyone's guess."

"So you don't have goals?"

"Naw. My goals are simple, daily shit." She stuck out her thumb from a fist. "Get high. Get liquor. Get money for getting high and liquor. Get laid, maybe, and then get food." She'd counted the goals out on her fingers, and now looked at her nails and scowled. "And then get some fucking chinks who gonna make a manicure that doesn't fucking chip!" she growled, and pushed her hand through her hair.

Malfoy lifted a brow and she sucked in a breath, trying not to feel edgy. "Do you need to take a break?"

"No. I'm just pissed, fuck, it's not your fault." She picked at the chipped nail. "My fucking brother James and his wife had a baby and no one fucking even told me. When I went to have dinner with my parents they were there, and James wouldn't even let me hold my own fucking nephew. And it's pissing me off 'cause everyone else got to hold the fucking baby, and James thinks he knows shit about me, and he's fucked, 'cause he don't know shit."

"Why is that?"

"What? Why wouldn't he let me hold the fucking baby? 'Cause he's paranoid and he thinks I'm too fucking high all the time to be trusted, probably!"

"No, why doesn't he know shit about you?"

Lily glared. "'Cause I don't just go whining to my big brother every fucking time I got emotional problems. James and I haven't ever been close, he's way older than me. By the time I was a freshman in high school, he was away at college. How the hell could he know anything?"

Malfoy's mouth hinted at a smile and he shrugged broad shoulders, the white tee tightening and relaxing across his chest. "Could you not have told him?"

Lily frowned. "Fuck you, Hollywood, you know that shit ain't my style."

"How is your current style working for you?" he drawled.

Lily stood up and paced away, then back. "You're a fucking motherfucker, Hollywood. Fuck you. I fucking...fuck!" She stomped her foot, not caring there were people nearby. She wanted to smack him in the face. "Fuck, why do you have to do that? Why are you getting in my fucking head like this? Stop it!"

"I'm just asking the questions, Lily," he murmured evenly.

"Well stop fucking stirring shit up! Jesus fuck! I fucking had my fucking shit all fucking fine and fucking dandy and then you came along and you made me start thinking about shit, and I don't fucking like it!" Lily sucked in a deep breath trying to bottle her temper. "I have to keep this kind of shit inside, or it makes me fucking loopy. Like for fuck sakes, I can't be thinking about shit all the fucking time, I got fucking work and shit to do, and you keep fucking asking me shit."

"That's it for today," Malfoy said to Salts. He looked at Lily. "Do you want to wrap filming?"

She frowned, because despite being frustrated, she didn't. Whether because she felt like there was some more truth behind the glamour to reveal or because she didn't want to face never seeing those grey eyes again, she wasn't sure. But she wanted to keep going. "No, it's fine," she murmured. "I just… I don't do this shit, and I don't know how to deal."

Malfoy smirked the tiniest bit. "That's the hard part. Figuring out how to deal. It doesn't get easier, I'm afraid." Lily lifted her brows. "But with practice it becomes habit."

"How long you been sober?" she asked.

"Three years in August." He smirked. "I relapsed, the third night I got home from rehab. Puked my guts out, and learned my lesson."

"Is it hard?" she murmured, looking down. She'd spent most of her sober year doing homework at home, avoiding any chance of being around 'bad influences'. She didn't know how to live in the real world without drugs or drinking.

"It gets easier. If you try." Her head shot back up at that, but Malfoy was closing up his notebook, not looking at her.

Lily's phone rang. It was Taz. "Yo, bitch, where the fuck you at?" he asked. She frowned, because it sounded like he was with a bunch of other guys.

"I'm at the fucking park."

"Get your ass to steppin' then, bitch, to the Broad Street exit. We got celebrating to do. Five minutes, bitch." He hung up on her and she made a noise of disgust.

"At risk of getting yelled at again," Malfoy said casually, "you realize you and Taz don't have what would be considered a healthy relationship, right?"

Lily smirked and put her phone away. "Obviously," she said. "But like a lot of shit in my life, I could do worse, right?"

Blond eyebrows lifted. "Not by much. You could also do infinitely better. Take it easy," he said and sauntered away with Salts. Lily stared after him for a moment then hustled her ass to the Broad Street exit from the park and saw Taz's dark blue Mercedes. The windows were rolled down and Lily frowned when Eddie, hanging out the back seat, hollered, "Hustle faster, bitch!"

She flipped him off and slid into the front passenger seat. Taz grabbed her face and kissed her, tossing a fat dime bag at her. "The fuck we celebrating?" she asked, grinning a little as Tupac blared out of the stereo and the mood within the vehicle rubbed off on her.

"We celebratin' a good ass whoopin', that's what," Taz said, glancing at Ty in the back seat through the rearview mirror. "Right little man?"

"Yeah," Ty said softly and Lily's brows pulled together a little when she looked at his not overly thrilled expression. Eddie elbow Ty.

"This little nigga done earned himself a place as one of the boys." Lily lit a cigarette as Taz drove to the ghetto.

"Almost," Taz said, but seemed in a decidedly good mood, his hand slid up Lily's thigh, fingertips brushing under the hem of her dress. "You get your shit together, bitch?" he murmured.

"Uh huh," she said, opening the dime bag to sniff a line as they parked in a visitor space behind a row of shitty red brick townhouses. "Sweet fucking fuck," she coughed afterward and Taz smirked. She rubbed her nose as it burned and tickled fiercely.

"Later, bitch," he promised, grinning that perfect, sexy grin that made her heart pound faster. The coke went straight to her brain, shorting it out with euphoria. Ty came hustling back with the mini bitch, who crammed in the back seat with Eddie, Ty and the third guy, Marcus, a mostly silent friend of Taz's who Lily was pretty sure killed people professionally. She didn't know why else some people called him The Mortician unless he was one, which she doubted.

"Where'd you get this shit?" she asked, tapping out another bump.

"Free sample," Taz said, grinning still. Lily felt her euphoria skyrocket and sniffled.

Eddie laughed, and even Ty's mouth flickered into a smile. When they got back to the apartment Lily took the mini bitch, who looked like she was dressed for Sunday school, back to her room to change and do a couple bumps from Lily's bag. "I'm gonna give you a head's up, Baby, 'cause you got potential," Lily murmured, pulling her emergency bottle from her closet and draining it, feeling numb and fantastic. "When the niggas be 'celebrating', they ain't gonna give a fuck that you Ty's bitch. So you tease and you taunt, but you never, ever, give your premium shit away for free. You follow?"

Baby nodded, pupils massive. Lily spritzed her with perfume. "How come?" she finally asked.

Lily smirked. "You think Ty's gonna be okay if all the boys know what you sound like gettin' fucked? No. He ain't. And even if you gotta sleep with 'em at some point, you save the good shit for your man." Her dark brows pulled together. Lily sighed. "Look, when I fuck with my customers, chances are I ain't gettin' there. The odd time I do, it ain't gonna be the same as when I fuck with Taz." She'd decided, early on in her hooking career, that only her man would know what her pleasure looked and sounded like. For everyone else, they got the fake, porno scream. Taz got the grunts and moans of completion. "You save the real shit for your man, and any other niggas, you put on a show. Got it, Baby?"

The girl nodded, smirking a little. "Got it. Do you gotta put on the show even if it's fake?"

Lily snorted. "The fuck you think? Yeah you gotta pretend. They ain't comin' back for seconds if they think you didn't like the first course. Remember, they payin' for the experience." She told the little Latina girl what makeup to put on, got herself extra dolled up and changed, and they went back out. There were at least a dozen people there, and Lily smirked, left Baby to her own devices and made a beeline for her bottle in the freezer. She moved back to the living room, sitting on Taz's lap when he patted it.

"You still got work at five," Taz rumbled when she shifted purposefully, legs splayed either side of his. Lily grinned over her shoulder at him, bottle halfway to her mouth.

"And you ain't gonna want it after," she said, and took a long drink.

Taz snorted. "Don't mean I want it before either, bitch."

Lily's grin widened and she set her bottle down, tossed her hair, and braced her hands on her knees as she rolled her pelvis and ground against him. "Just 'cause I switched professions, doesn't mean I forgot how to dance, babe," she purred. Her hips gyrated again and she lifted her ass, dipped her back and popped for him then ground her ass up against his crotch suggestively.

Taz smirked, blunt hanging from his lips and wrapped a possessive hand around the back of her neck, then turned her face back to his. "Just 'cause you rubbing up on it don't mean you gonna get it either, bitch."

His hand moved up to tangle in her hair and when he pulled her to him, she leaned in and kissed him as he plucked the blunt from his mouth. "You're the boss, Taz," she purred, because she knew he liked to look like he was king shit in front of his boys. She barely refrained from rolling her eyes, but he grinned.

"Fuckin' right, bitch."

By the time she had to deal with Tiny, Lily was too far gone to even complain, even when he doubled up as expected. She smoked a cigarette after he left, and had just done a line from the fat dime bag when Eddie appeared in her doorway. "The fuck you want?" she demanded.

Eddie smirked. "Only one thing I ever want you to do, Red, other than shut the fuck up."

Lily cocked a brow. "Yeah right, Eddie."

He stepped in anyway, and Lily reached into her purse. "C'mon, Red, ain't nobody even gotta know. I see you. You gaggin' for it, bitch."

"Don't be a dumb fucker, Eddie," she said warningly, moving her hand slowly, feeling for her switchblade. Just as her hand closed around it, Taz came in, casting her a suspicious look. Lily outed her smoke and handed Taz the money, one hand still closed around her weapon. She might be a dumb coke whore, but she sure as fuck wasn't stupid.

"Put some fuckin' clothes on," Taz grumbled as Eddie slipped out. Lily released the switchblade.

"You best be telling Eddie I'm not the community fucking bike," she said darkly, getting up and putting her dress back on. Taz glared.

"Don't be fucking actin' like one then, bitch." She zipped her purse and hooked it in her arm. "Where the fuck you goin'?"

"I'm taking my mini bitch for a lesson. You motherfuckers do whatever the fuck you feel like, we're gonna split. I'm not havin' dumb fucks walking in thinking they're next in line or some shit."

Taz grabbed her upper arm. "You best not be starting a fucking line up."

The redhead narrowed her eyes. "I can promise if I do, Eddie ain't gonna fucking be in it." Taz released her, then tucked a fifty in her cleavage.

"Tiny left you a tip, nasty slut."

Her mouth curved. "See what happens when you keep your bitch coked up?" she drawled, lifting her brows. Dark eyes rolled. Lily grabbed Baby by the wrist, telling her they had lessons, and dragged her out the door.

"Where're we goin'?"

"You're goin' home, Baby. Those boys get rowdy, and they'll start drinking heavy soon." The girl's mouth turned down a little at the mention of that.

"Ty's a prick when he drinks," she muttered.

"They all are," Lily said easily, lighting a smoke and handing it to the girl. "You brought your clothes, right? You look almost like a grown ass whore, Baby, and I'm gonna let you walk the last bit by yourself if your mama's gonna flip on me."

"I got 'em."

Lily walked the mini bitch home, waiting outside a pizza place bathroom on the way while she changed, and was a little surprised to see a middle aged woman who was the spitting image of Baby, only a little shorter and heavier, waiting on the front stoop. "You late!" she berated, glaring at Lily. "¿Por qué caminas con una puta?"

The redhead felt her temper flare at the mention of 'puta' because she knew precisely what that meant, but forced herself to smile. "Your daughter's late 'cause she stopped to talk to me and was telling me about Jesus and shit," she said. "I asked if she had a lighter, and she said no, but she told me all about how Jesus died for my sins and I should be holy and shit."

Baby looked shocked but her mouth snapped shut quickly. "Mamá, Jesús trató de guiar a las prostitutas a la luz de Dios." She flashed Lily a smile. "Be safe, and may you find God," she said solemnly and Lily had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. The girl's mother still glared at her accusingly.

"Thanks." She headed back toward home, pulling out her phone once she got out of the ghetto and into her own neighbourhood, which was only very slightly better. She saw a text from Malfoy and her brows lifted a little. _Salty told me I was rude to you earlier. Was I? If so, I apologize._

Lily snorted, tapping out a reply. _Is Salty secretly a woman? You're always an asshole, Malfoy._

As she got to the apartment his response buzzed in _. I rescind my apology, I'm not ALWAYS an asshole._

She paused outside the door and tapped out a reply. _From where I'm standing, it's always, Malfoy. It's lucky you're good looking._ She cleared her outbox and went in. The boys were still celebrating. Lily got her bottle and went to her room, locking the door, because she didn't want Eddie trying to get a quickie in, paying customer or not. She wasn't dumb enough to think Taz would see it as anything other than her fucking around on him. After several long drinks, she was debating whether she'd pass out if she tried to shower, and her phone buzzed. She looked at it blearily, her hand clumsy as she tried to navigate the stupid cell. It was from Malfoy.

 _That's because you're not standing in the right place yet._

Lily had no idea what that meant, but laughed to herself, because it sounded funny. Like if she moved three steps to the left she'd see some side of him that wasn't asshole-ish. Though, she mused, drifting in and out of consciousness, he was definitely one of the better assholes in her life. She smiled and then her brain disengaged and she passed out.

The next morning came too early for Lily's liking, and she dragged herself to shower. She saw Eddie passed out on the couch and detoured back to her room, lighting a smoke and putting her face on. She sent a text to Ian, a short, single sentence she knew would keep him in her corner awhile longer. _Please don't make me choose, because I can't live through heartbreak._

Then she sent a text to Hollywood. _You're the film guy, Hollywood. I'm just the good bone structure, you gotta do the directing shit. I got a minute, you wanna meet?_

She carved herself a fat line from the last of her dime bag and sniffed it, then started on her eyeshadow. Her phone rang and she smiled a little as she picked it up, assuming it would be Hollywood. "Hello," she said expectantly.

"Lily," her father said and the redhead almost fell off her chair. She felt instantly guilty from his tone and gulped a little. "We need to have a talk."

She cradled the phone between ear and shoulder, digging in her purse for cigarettes. "Sure, Dad. What about?"

"Is it true?"

Her brow furrowed as she clicked a lighter and lit her smoke. "Is what true?" she asked, huffing out a cancer cloud.

"Are you a prostitute?"

Lily felt her heart skip a beat. Her family knew she had problems, sure, and they even knew she was once a stripper. They didn't know she fucked for cash. And she wanted to keep it that way. She forced a laughed. "What? Is that a real question?" she said lightly.

"Yes."

The redhead pushed a hand through her hair. "Why the fuck would you ask me if I'm a prostitute?" she demanded.

Her father sighed, long suffering and exhausted. "James mentioned it. Said you told him to watch a documentary about hookers."

"I did. And he should watch it." She swallowed thickly. "You should too if you ever get the chance. I dunno what it's called, but it's by some guy named Scorpius Malfoy. Very informative stuff." She sniffled a little and rubbed her nose, still tickling from the excellent coke.

"You haven't answered my question, Lily," her father said tersely, and she pictured him in his study, gripping the phone with white knuckle force, dark brows drawn together forbiddingly.

"What's the point?" she said, sitting back, mouth pursing. "You sound like you've already made your mind up about it." Because the disapproval was heavy in his tone, dragging down her high.

"You're killing your mother, you know that?" Harry Potter said, sounding positively furious. "If she finds out what you've done now she'll-"

Lily hung up on him. She didn't want to listen to that first thing and she had no desire to spend all day being snappy and pissed off if she guilted herself into doing so. She waited until she heard the sounds of Taz getting out of the shower to come out of her room, almost bumping into her man in the hall. He backed her against the wall, towel around his hips. "The fuck you all slutted up for, bitch?" he asked, hands slipping under her tank top.

She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. "For you," she replied, wrapping her legs around him. Taz put a hand to her throat gently, pinning her to the wall with his pelvis.

"Your nose is still white, bitch. You like the shit?"

She grunted when a hand teased her nipple, its twin smoothing up her neck to hold her face, and he turned it aside. "I love the shit."

"If you want to keep it on the regular, it's gonna cost you."

Lily frowned, legs dropping, and Taz pulled back. "Cost me what?" she demanded.

Taz's mouth quirked up, and he chucked her under the chin. "You're gonna have to loosen up that no Hispanic customers rule you got."

Lily's mouth hardened. "Not fucking likely, Taz." He lifted a brow.

"You wanna fuck with Murphy on the regular then, or what?" The redhead glared. "That's what the fuck I thought, bitch. Juan's coming at three to settle up for your sample. Treat him nice, you get another bag."

Lily wanted to slap him, because she did not like Hispanic guys. The few she'd slept with had stunk, had talked at her in Spanish, which she didn't know more than a handful of words in and found annoying, and their cocks weren't very big. And when she'd started hooking, she'd been firm that she wouldn't fuck with them for money. But she really liked blow. "Fuck you, Taz," she snapped.

He slapped her lightly, knowing she'd give in like most addicts usually did. "You'd love that, bitch," he said, going to his bedroom. "Go see what the fuck there is to eat."

Lily wound up taking a hike to get food, and came back to find Malfoy sitting in the living room, conversing as though it were entirely commonplace with Taz about whatever video game they were playing. "The fuck you doing here?" she demanded.

She handed Taz his food and sat down in the arm chair, feeling wary. "Getting my ass kicked at this game."

"Hollywood came to chat," Taz said, rolling a blunt and lighting it up. Lily felt distinctly uneasy still and wanted to go get her bottle. She refrained, because she didn't want to make his sobriety harder. That would just be low.

"About what?" she asked. His mouth hinted at a smile.

"This and that," he replied, and got shot in the game.

"You suck at this shit, cracker," Taz said, sounding amused. Lily frowned and Malfoy looked at her and smiled properly.

"No kidding," he said, tossing the controller down. "You feel like chatting?" he asked easily. Lily shrugged, hoping he didn't mean right here.

"Sure," she mumbled when Taz sent her a 'the answer is yes' type look.

Malfoy seemed to gather from her expression she wouldn't talk freely around Taz. "Well, no offence, but this lighting sucks. Are you amenable to going somewhere else?"

"Where you got in mind?"

They went out, after Taz reminded her she had Juan at three, not that she much wanted him, and Lily felt too embarrassed to sweet talk Taz into another bag with Malfoy right there, so she told herself she didn't need it. "You seem especially edgy," Malfoy said after awhile, the two of them walking side by side down the sidewalk. Lily found herself speed walking, but Malfoy kept pace easily.

"I am. I need to get high." She pushed a hand through her hair and huffed a little, then took a drag off her cigarette. "I got some really good shit yesterday, and I want more."

They finally paused to chat at the park. Lily was too on edge to sit, so she stood, tapping her foot, twirling a hank of hair around a finger. "I didn't mean to freak you out by just popping up."

Lily shrugged. "Shit happens, Hollywood. It's just weird to see you and Taz sitting there, y'know?"

"Why?" he murmured, his little camera pointed at her. She paced a little before the bench he was sitting on.

"'Cause it's you. And Taz. It's like trying to mix Taz with my family. They don't go together."

"Has your family met Taz?"

The redhead snorted. "I might be dumb, but I ain't fucking stupid. You think I'm bringing that fucker to my parents' place? Yeah right. My mom would fucking lose it for sure."

"Does she worry about you and your relationships?"

Lily puffed hard on her cigarette. "I never thought so, but apparently that's all she does is worry. Mostly about me. According to James anyway." She frowned. "It's not my fault, though. I can't make her get over it. How is it my fault that she can't let it go, that she can't just realize it's my life and I'm allowed to fuck it all up if I fucking want to?"

Malfoy tilted his head slightly. "Do you really want that? Do you want to just be cut off from your entire family?"

Lily sat abruptly. "I want them to get off my back. Like I'm not stupid, I fucking get it, my life is in the fucking shitter. But like seriously, I never asked for them to help me."

"Do you think they want to help because they love you?"

She laughed darkly. "Maybe once upon a time they did. Now it's just an afterthought." She finished her smoke and picked at her nails. "My dad called to ask me if I was a prostitute this morning."

"How did that go?"

She smiled ruefully. "It didn't. I didn't even get a chance to say anything, my dad already decided I must be. And then he goes into the guilt trip, so I just hung up on him. Seriously, how is it my fault my mom went off the deep end? Huh?" She sniffled. "Why does it have to be all my fault?" She felt a tear slip out and grit her teeth, batting it away furiously. "Like maybe she should get some fucking help, too. I don't tell her to worry, I'm not responsible for what the fuck she does. She's a grown ass woman!" Another tear slipped out and she felt angry enough to scream, dashing it aside. "It's not fair! I never asked for it to be like this, I never wanted this. And James and my dad and Al don't get it, they think it's so _easy_ and I can just _stop_ , but I don't fucking know how! The only reason I stayed sober for senior year is because I just focused on school work. I stopped hanging out with everyone, I barely left the fucking house. And they were _happy_ because they thought I was all _better_." Her lip quivered as three more tears dripped rebelliously down her face. "But it was all just a fucking joke, I was still lying to everyone," she whispered.

"Why don't you want your family to know you're a prostitute?" Malfoy asked after a long moment where she tried to get herself together.

Lily blew out a shaky breath. "So they can have another reason to hate me?"

"Do you really think that? That they hate you?"

She snorted. "Why in the fuck else would they, at every chance they get, throw shit in my face? Like are they fucking retarded? They think I'm gonna wake up someday and think, 'Wow, this is having some fucking detrimental effects on fucking people, I'm never using drugs again' or some shit? Like, the fuck? It just makes me wanna fucking use more. Makes me wanna go get high off my face so I don't have to think about it being my fault!" Hopelessness threatened to crush her for a moment, only determination keeping her upright and keeping the sobs locked away. "That's why I fucking use drugs," she said, voice shaking. "Because it's all my fucking fault, all of it, and I don't wanna fucking think about it." She put a hand over her face, and didn't see Malfoy put his camera down. She felt his arms, strong and comforting, going around her and instinctively pulled back. But then he folded her against his chest, and she froze. He was warm, and he smelled good, and he was so goddamn solid and fucking reassuring. She relaxed against him, then slowly put her arms around him, holding on, drawing a deep breath, swallowing past a dry throat, and hated the tears that spilled, hot and fast, out of her eyes.

"It's not your fault," he said evenly.

"Yes it is," she murmured brokenly. She pulled away and he released her, and Lily realized, as she wiped her tears, she had forgotten what it felt like to hug someone. To simply hug them and have them hug her back. Not for her gain, or their pleasure, or for anything other to to receive comfort in a time of distress. "It is my fault," she said, lighting another cigarette, looking away, cheeks flushing dark pink, when she noticed tear spots on his soft grey tee.

"How?"

Lily snorted. "You know how," she said darkly. She'd shared the heavy shit, the nitty gritty, and didn't feel like repeating it. God, what if she embarrassed herself even more by crying on him again?

"I'm afraid I don't." She glared but his mouth quirked up. "I've heard plenty, Lily, and I have yet to hear how or why any of the unfortunate events have been your fault." He looked at her with those intense yet soft eyes. "Except maybe the being with Taz thing. That you get full credit for." Despite herself she felt a laugh bubble out and shoved him a little.

"Fuck you, Hollywood," she mumbled.

"You look much better when you smile," he said. She felt her cheeks go a darker pink.

"Then it's a good thing you're face is funny, ain't it?" She pulled out her compact and fixed up her face.

"Ooh, ouch," he drawled, closing up his little camera.

"Hey, it's not your fault," she said, and patted his knee. "We can't all have great bone structure."

Malfoy rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "You know Salty tells every woman he meets that, right?"

Lily's mouth dropped open and he laughed at her. "He does not!" she hissed.

"Only when it's true," Malfoy qualified. Lily rolled her eyes and pushed a hand through her hair. "So, off the record, do you really ever see yourself getting sober?"

Lily thought about it. She honestly didn't know, but fear of the unknown made her lean toward the one sure thing. Coke. "Probably not," she said after a long while. He frowned, making her feel the need to explain, as much as she could comprehend, to him. He deserved that. "I wouldn't mind trying, I guess," she said fairly. "But that fork is a complete unknown. It's terrifying. I literally don't know how to be an adult without doing drugs. I just don't." She sucked in a breath, pulling off her cigarette. "The other fork, the drugs one, I know what that looks like. It's shitty, but at least it's all there, laid out before me." She shrugged. "I'm not a brave person, Hollywood," she said, folding her arms around herself. "I don't like jumping into the unknown."

She looked sidelong at him and he was smiling a tiny bit at her. "That's because you've always had to jump alone." He stood up and ran a hand through his hair and Lily tried not to think about how good he looked, that soft grey tee riding up his flat stomach, the peek of golden flesh beneath rousing her curiosity. She forced the thoughts down and stood up too.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" she murmured.

"It means, if you want, you don't have to jump alone."

Her mouth curved up. "You gonna hold my hand?" she teased. He smirked, reached for it, and frowned at her nails.

"Honestly? No. You'll gore me with your claws." She laughed and shoved him again as he released her hand, and followed as he walked toward the fountain.

"Rude, Hollywood. Told you, total asshole." He snorted and she grinned. "I'll trim the talons if I need you to hold my hand, Malfoy," she said softly. "And thanks."

"You're welcome."

XXX


	7. Chapter 7

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.

XXX

When Lily got home, Taz was dealing as per usual and she frowned, because Ty and Baby were there and the customers kept looking at the girl like she was fresh meat. "Go get ready," Taz said after she got her bottle from the freezer and sat on the arm of the couch.

Lily frowned some more. "In a minute," she said. Taz shot her a threatening look.

"Go now, bitch." She smoothed a hand over his braids, but stood up.

"I wanna talk later," she murmured and Taz snorted dismissively. Her mouth pursed and she chugged some more of her liquor, wincing hard at the burn of oncoming oblivion.

She went and got ready and Taz appeared in her doorway a few minutes later. "The fuck you wanna talk about?" he demanded.

"My mini bitch," Lily said firmly. "She ain't ready yet." Taz scowled.

"That bitch is ready," he said. "Ty's got shit lined up for her next week." Lily forced her expression to remain neutral.

"Maybe for little boys," she said, "but she's not fucking ready to be sent out to no grown ass niggas." Taz sucked his teeth. "She ain't," Lily said firmly, turning to look at Taz.

"How the fuck you gonna know, dumb bitch?"

"You tell me how much fucking experience you got fucking with niggas then, Taz," she growled. "Fuck you, she ain't ready."

"Then get her ready. You got a week, bitch, then I don't give a fuck if she's ready or not. I ain't sittin' on this investment 'til I fucking croak."

Lily shot him a mutinous look as he left her again, and finished getting ready, making sure she smelled nice and looked great. She had a feeling Juan was going to be a decent client, but one never knew. He showed up as she was finishing a cigarette, and the redhead forced her mouth to turn up coyly. "Look at you, Cartel, slumming it up," she teased as he closed the door. "Thought you could afford better?"

He smirked, looking pretty good with his white wife-beater and even whiter smile in his tanned face and those dark eyes. "I can. Thought you were the one who didn't fuck with Mexicans, Red," he shot back.

Lily grinned wider. "Good thing you're Cuban then, right Cartel?"

He pulled his shirt off and the redhead lifted her brows a fraction. He was ripped and definitely hard. "Even better you like sniffing more than you hate Latinos."

Lily watched him go an hour later, feeling replete and high. She'd snorted a line right off his six pack, then licked up the rest, and, to her surprise, he was a pretty decent fuck. She even got there, which was nice, although she'd wondered for a moment when he'd started talking at her in Spanish.

He left a fat dime bag for her and Lily did another line as Taz came in. She handed him the money wordlessly. But Taz wasn't one to let the opportunity for a good 'I told you so' go to waste. "So you gonna stick with Juan, or you feel like goin' to visit your buddy Murphy, bitch?" he drawled.

"Fuck you, Taz," she said lightly. He grabbed her hair, smirking.

"You don't need another one, bitch. I heard you screaming like a cheap slut." She rolled her eyes as he released her, slapping her lightly. "You got Nate coming tonight, bitch, and he's payin' extra. Wants something real special." She frowned.

"The fuck's that nigga want?" she growled.

Taz smirked. "He wants what I got."

Lily had no idea what the fuck he was going on about. "What the fuck are you saying, Taz?" she snapped. "Fuck, spit it the fuck out, I don't got time for games!" He grabbed her face, hard, eyes narrowing.

"Watch that fucking attitude, you stupid fucking whore," he said, and got in her face. "That nigga be wanting to get his dick wet. And you're gonna let him."

Her eyes narrowed, teeth clenching. "Yeah the fuck right," she hissed.

Taz grinned and jerked her head roughly sideways, biting her neck. "'Cause if you don't, you best be finding some other nigga who gonna treat you right like me." He released her and then slapped her, fairly hard, across the face. "You wanna be a coked out whore, bitch? You gonna act like one." He left her and Lily drank for a bit, stewing and pissed off, because she had made rules for a fucking reason. She didn't want random bareback cock. Then again, she had to admit, maybe she'd judged a little too harsh on the Hispanic guys thing. Cartel had been decent. But still, that was a far cry from wanting some fucking john busting a nut in her.

When she did come out, after a few more lines that blunted her anger and made her ignorantly blissful of anything but the fantastic buzz she had going, she saw Taz dealing to a suspiciously fidgety junkie. And Eddie was there. She pursed her mouth when Eddie smirked at her and purposely sat beside Taz, curling up and pulling out her phone. She had another message from Ian she didn't dare read with Taz six inches away from the screen, and a message from Malfoy. She opened the one from Malfoy.

 _I lied. Even with the talons, I'd hold your hand_. She felt her mouth curving up in a genuine smile, even as she hit the reply button.

 _Course you would. I'll make sure I get my nails done first, though._

"The fuck you smirking for?" Eddie grumbled and Lily shot him a glare.

"Thinking 'bout something funny, obviously," she snapped back. Lily put her phone back in her purse and set herself up a line, as Taz puffed his blunt, and she used the rolled up twenty on the table to snort it.

"You gonna fucking OD, Red," Eddie said, scoffing. She smirked at him.

"Aw you sound like you almost give a shit, fucker," she replied, and lifted her bottle to her lips for a swig. "You got a big fuckin' crush on me or something, Eddie?" she drawled, picking up her phone again.

"Naw, but I might hook you up when Taz drops your ass, bitch," he said lightly and Lily, from the corner of her eyes, saw Taz shoot Eddie a warning look.

The redhead smiled. "Taz ain't as dumb as you, Eddie. He knows if he drops me exactly who's gonna pick me up." She lit a cigarette. "And it sure as fuck ain't gonna be you." She glanced at the reply from Malfoy and smiled again. _Get red, so the bloodstains aren't as noticeable._

Her thumbs moved quickly, tapping out a response. _I have red hair already, I don't need anything else to be red._

By the time she finished her cigarette, zoning out as Taz and Eddie shot pixelated soldiers and told them to fuck off, Malfoy had replied again and she giggled a little. _Then get black. That's one of your favourite colours, right?_

 _Oh yeah. Better than white for the most part._

She realized he must be right on his phone when he replied seconds later. _There's exceptions to every rule._

Lily's brows lifted, still grinning. _Is that supposed to mean you? Seriously LOLing, Hollywood._ And indeed, she giggled again.

"The fuck you giggling about, bitch?" Taz growled.

She purposely cleared her outbox. "Nothing," she said, smile falling. Her mouth pursed and she got up. "When the fuck's Nate coming?"

"He'll be here at seven."

Lily tossed her blow in her bra and grabbed her purse. "I'm going out."

Taz tossed his controller aside. "The fuck you think you gonna go, bitch?" he demanded.

"Fucking out!" she snapped. "Fuck off."

She paused to put her bottle back in the freezer, but then Taz was behind her, trapping her against the fridge, cold air pouring out of the freezer on her, chilling her chest, beading her nipples. "You ain't goin' anywhere, fuckin' bitch," he growled, grabbing her hips. Lily's mouth hardened.

"I have to go shopping," she said, trying to remain calm. She made to turn, but Taz forced her shoulder back, and Lily braced her hands on the top of the fridge door.

"For what?" Taz grunted, tugging her spandex mini dress up.

"Fucking woman shit," she snapped, trying to swallow back the helpless fear. His thumbs pushed her panties down and she closed her eyes.

"Bitch please," Taz growled, one hand fisting in her hair as the other tugged his belt undone. "You ain't gotta get shit," he murmured, and Lily pressed her lips together. "Except that hot little puss filled up."

She forced her mind to be blank, forced herself not to move as he fucked her against the fridge, her knuckles white as she held onto the refrigerator door, the freezer blasting cold air onto her that penetrated deep into her chest, freezing her solid. And when he finished she stood there for one moment, trembling, and then tugged her dress down firmly. Her cheeks were pink with shame and humiliation, because Eddie was still there, sitting on the couch, smirking like the cat who got the cream. Lily wanted to cry but forced herself to breathe deep, and pulled her panties back on, pulled her bottle back out and chugged until she choked.

She slipped out, trembling still, hating that despite the cloying heat of impending summer, she couldn't get warm. Her hands shook as she lit a cigarette on the sidewalk, walking blindly, not caring where she ended up. Her eyes blurred with tears she refused to let fall and she paused, realizing she was in the park, and moved to sit on a bench across from an old guy feeding pigeons.

She pulled her phone out and saw Malfoy's reply to her last message. _That's for me to know and you to wonder about._ Her lip quivered a little.

"Are you alright, love?" the old man asked after a long moment where she fought the urge to cry again.

"Yeah," she said, then cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine." The old guy looked like he privately disagreed, but nodded. Lily bit her lip. "Actually," she said, "I'm not fine."

The old man smiled a tiny bit. "I noticed, love. Can't be so bad as that, can it?" he asked kindly.

Lily shrugged and pushed a hand through her hair. "How do you get out of something when all you know is being in it?" she finally asked him.

The old guy smiled, looking wise and wrinkly and reminding Lily, for some reason, of her nephew's sleepy face. "You take a leap of faith." She frowned, 'cause that sounded terrifying. "And hope to God someone's there to break your fall, or catch you." He looked her over pointedly. "But your eyes have to be open, love. Always look before you leap."

He threw a last handful of breadcrumbs and got up slowly, wearing a coat despite the warm weather. "Thank you," she said, standing up.

The old man smiled. "Thank you, love. I've been coming to this park for thirty years, and you're the very first person who's ever told me the truth." He smiled. "And the first person who looked like they might take my advice. Enjoy your day."

She went to the mall after the old man shuffled off and hit up the public bathroom to snort a line, and then went shopping with the small amount of cash she kept in case of emergencies in the depths of her purse.

Lily was perusing dresses in her favourite store when a teen girl and her mother came in, the former looking spoiled rotten, the latter looking at the selection with mild distaste. "Really, Felicity, this is not the sort of store you should be shopping in," the mother said.

The girl rolled her eyes and moved over to look at dresses at the same rack Lily was perusing. "Whatever, Mom," the girl said loudly. "Like you'd know. You're lame, and old." The blonde teen flicked through the rack and pulled out a slinky little black dress Lily herself had looked at. "I like this."

"Absolutely not," her mother said firmly.

The girl made a sound of disgust, and put the garment over her arm. "I'm trying it."

Lily lifted her brows silently. If she'd talked like that to her mother in public she'd have been grounded faster than she could say 'the fuck?' and definitely wouldn't be getting new clothes. "Felicity, put it back now," the mother hissed, coming over. The redhead feigned deafness, tugged out a bright pink number but put it back, knowing it would look awful with her hair. "Do you see the sort of riff-raff that shops here, young lady? You will not be going around dressed like that," the woman added, even lower.

She pursed her mouth a little but kept browsing. The teenager looked at her openly, then made the disgusted noise again. "Ew, obviously, Mom."

One red eyebrow lifted but Lily bit her tongue, moving away from the dresses and over to look at shorts. "Let's go Felicity," the woman said sternly. The girl snorted, still looking through the rack.

"Mom, seriously? Just 'cause one nasty 'ho is in the store doesn't mean anything." Lily felt her temper flare up. "She probably can't even afford this stuff."

The redhead narrowed her eyes. It was one thing to be called a 'ho, because she was one, and she could let that slide, even from an uppity little girl. But to be called a cheap hooker? Oh hell no, nuh unh, no fucking way! "You should be nicer to your mama," Lily drawled, not bothering to look up as she examined some dark shorts then put them back. "Someday she's gonna be the only one who puts up with that smart mouth attitude, little girl."

The mother looked horrified, the daughter rolled her eyes, snorting. "Ew, as if, like is this nasty hooker seriously talking to me?" she asked aloud as if she was being filmed for reality TV. She tossed fake blonde hair. "Gross."

Lily glanced up, smirking. "Naw, baby, what's gross is you're a fucking kid and your goal in life is to dress like a nasty hooker." She wrinkled her nose and modified her tone to mimic the teen. "Like, ew."

The blonde girl narrowed her eyes, stuck a hip out and sucked her teeth. "Wow, really? Do I, like, need to call security?"

"You might wanna, baby bitch. I'm a fucking psycho." Lily walked right up to the girl, seeing her mother clutching her handbag tighter, and Lily eyed her up. "You'd last a week, if that, and then you'd be home crying to your mama, baby bitch. So be nice to her, got it? 'Cause if I see you on the street, I'ma send you crying to her."

"Ew," the girl repeated, but she looked nervous. Lily made to turn away then jerked forward, laughing as the girl flinched.

She got a text from Hollywood as she was on her way home. _You stopped responding. You don't have to wonder if you don't want. (Although you probably do. It's definitely worth serious consideration). But really, everything okay?_ The last four words brought her up short, her step faltering a little as she walked. It was like the old man in the park, asking if she was okay.

 _Everything is definitely not okay, but I'll manage. It's what I do. Y'know, I might have to rethink your declaration that you don't care about me as 'more than subject matter for your film'. I think maybe, just maybe, you care a bit_. She sent the message then frowned, because she didn't want to put him on the spot. So she sent a follow up text. _Why else would you want me to consider your exception to the white boy rule?_

His response buzzed into her hand just after she got in, reaching for her bottle. _Maybe. And maybe you should consider me an exception to all the rules. Let me know when you're free for an interview._

Lily saw Taz was dealing in the living room and moved to sit on the end of the couch away from him. She pulled out her bag and made herself a line and just as she leaned down to snort, her phone rang. She sniffed her blow, coughed a little, and glanced at the display on her phone. "Son of a fucking bitch," the redhead whispered. "Fuck my fucking life." She gathered up her coke, snitched a smoke from Taz's pack and headed back to her bedroom, picking up on the fourth ring. It was already six thirty and she had to get ready. "Hi Mom, what's up?" she asked in a fake cheerful voice, sitting down at her vanity.

"You sound very...happy, honey." Lily rolled her eyes, pulling her dress half off.

"I'm just in a good mood, Mom," she said a little more flatly. "What's up?" she asked again, putting perfume on, cradling her cell on her shoulder. "I'm getting ready. I have plans tonight," she said.

"That sounds nice, honey," her mother said. "What sort of plans?" Lily's eyes narrowed.

"Romantic evening plans," she said vaguely, frowning at her hair.

"With your gentleman friend?" her mother pressed. Lily lit her smoke, frowning more. "What was his name again, honey? I don't think you mentioned it."

"Why are you calling really, Mom?" she asked, ignoring the questions. She stood up and pulled off her dress, completely, then kicked off her shoes.

"Well, your brother mentioned you might have… Oh honey," she sighed. "Do you need money?"

Lily pinched the very top of her nose, almost between her brows, praying for patience and sanity. "No, Mother, I do not need money," she said carefully. "And I just recommended a movie to James. If he's reading sh-stuff into that, that's on him." She gulped, because she hated the half lies and part truths she always ended up telling her mother, balancing on a razor's edge. "I have to go," she mumbled.

"Are you sure, Lily?" her mother whispered, and the redhead wanted to cry, but didn't allow herself the option.

"Positive. I really do have to go though, Mom. I love you. And don't worry, everything's totally fine." Lily was almost surprised how easy it came out, breezy and light as air. It was a lie she'd perfected.

"Okay. I love you, honey." Lily hung up abruptly as Nate walked in.

"You're early," she murmured. "Catching me off guard."

Nate grinned. "What else you need time for, Red?"

She rolled her eyes, because the answer was a bump in both nostrils, but smiled. "If I told you I'd have to kill you, Nate."

She'd forgotten entirely that he'd pay more to go bareback until he pushed into her, and she automatically lifted her hands to push him back. "I don't-"

Nate merely smirked, nipping the top of her breast teasingly. "You do now, Red." Lily closed her eyes, faking her completion with his, and tried not to feel sick to her stomach. She hated missionary, the bitter memories rising with the bile in the back of her throat every time, and without a condom, she barely repressed her instinctive gag when he came. Afterward, she rolled away from him, feeling more used and cheaper than ever.

He tapped her on the ass teasingly. "Worth it," he said by way of compliment and she sat up, facing away from him, arms around her middle as Nate got dressed and left her cash on the night stand. She forced herself to get up, put clothes back on mechanically, and went to snort a line. Taz came in as she was moving to shower.

"You turn 'em over that quick, I might have to be lettin' that shit happen on the regular, bitch." Lily's mouth hardened, and she looked away when he threw some cash on the bed. "You can keep the bonus."

"Lucky me," she said flatly, feeling hollow, and went to shower, only letting her tears run when she couldn't distinguish them from the hot water pouring over her face. She stripped her bed, got clean sheets from her barren linen closet, and frowned at the hole from a cigarette. Once she was in bed, door locked, her cash tucked safely in the bottom of her purse, she curled into a very small ball and picked up her phone.

Normally she'd text Ian when she felt empty, letting his lavish adoration fill her up again, but she flicked instead to Malfoy's last text. _Maybe. Meet me tomorrow at eight, by the pier. And yes, I mean in the morning._

Morning came quick after she fell asleep, tightly curled, and Lily was up and out by seven, dressed down in a tank and shorts, no makeup and flip flops. She'd opted to put her hair in a bun rather than brush it and hid her tired eyes behind her sunglasses. Malfoy was there when she arrived. "You're early," he said. "I'm shocked." His steady, dark grey eyes roved over her. "And you look like a real person."

Lily pursed her mouth, eyes narrowing behind her sunglasses. "As opposed to?" she snapped, folding her arms.

He smiled slowly. "As opposed to some kind of persona." She frowned, trying to figure out if that was a compliment or not. "You look like Lily, the person, not Red, the coke whore." She decided she would take that as a compliment, even if it was kind of backhanded and she didn't quite believe it. She looked like shit.

"So what are we talking about?' she murmured, hooking her thumbs in her pockets as they strolled slowly down the deserted cement block beyond the much more popular, and more scenic, boardwalk down the shore.

"What would you like to talk about?" he asked, pointing his little camera at her. Her mouth quirked to the side. "Not everyone is going to dig every little detail out, Lily. You have to be able to open up, not just stop resisting when people pry."

Her hand pushed through her hair. "I don't know what to talk about. I'm all fucked up." Malfoy merely waited, strolling along at a snail's pace with her. "Seriously, I don't know what to say. Other than I changed my mind about training mini bitches." She dug in her purse for a smoke. "I'd probably end up smacking some mouthpiece." Her lighter clicked and she inhaled, thinking about Baby. Her gut churned when she thought about Taz, and Ty, sending her out to grown, undoubtedly fucking depraved, men.

"You look like you have something clattering around in here," he said, poking the side of her head.

"I got lots of shit clattering around in there. Most of it bullshit."

"So clear out some space," Malfoy said firmly and she smirked. Like it was that easy, just take the bad shit out to make way for nice new fancy shit in her mind.

But she'd try. "So normally I have rules about my customers. And Taz knows it. He knows I don't fuck Mexicans, I don't like white boys, and I don't go skin on skin." She shuddered just saying the words and gulped. "So the other day, he gets this blow, and it's like amazing. I mean seriously good shit. And he asks if I like it, and obviously it's premium, so I'm like, fuck yeah. And then I find out it's from this fucking Cuban guy, and he's gonna join my club to keep me in the good shit." She frowned. "Which was kinda fucked, 'cause he didn't tell me I'd have to be fuckin' some Spanish-talking motherfucker for it. But that wasn't so bad. Cartel was alright as far as clients go." She shrugged. "And then he tells me one of my regulars, pretty nice guy, wants something extra special. And I'm thinking maybe he wants a fuck and suck combo. But Taz said if the guy paid extra he could have me without the hassle of a condom."

"What did you say?"

"Obviously I said no. Not that it mattered." She puffed off her smoke. "Taz sets the shit up, I just do the work. But it made me feel… I dunno, it felt worse somehow. Like I know I'm a whore, I fuck for money, but I ain't never fucked anyone but Taz without a condom. And he just let this guy do it." She fought the urge to cry. "And now I'm kinda paranoid that it's the start of something I don't wanna do. I mean, the john left in like half the time, so it was a good thing I guess, but…" Lily sighed. "That's our thing, me and Taz. And it feels like he doesn't give a fuck."

"Do you give a fuck?"

She snorted. "Yeah. I don't wanna fuck with guys who aren't gonna even bother to wrap their shit. I'm not getting fucking HIV or fucking chlamydia or some shit."

"Is this the first time Taz has put you in this sort of situation?" Her brows pulled together. "I mean, are there any other times he didn't seem to care about what happens to you in regard to your clients?"

"Taz has this friend, Eddie," she mumbled, not sure what she was even going to say as she said it. "Kind of a dumb fucker, like a fucking retarded dog. Stupid, but loyal, and capable of being vicious." She smirked at that assessment, because it was pretty close. "Anyway, so when I'm working the other day, he's hanging out with Taz, and I'm in my room, like I dunno de-stressing and shit after fucking my least favourite john leaves, and then Eddie shows up. And, not gonna lie, I've done shit for Eddie the odd time, when he can afford it, and Taz lets it slide, not that I really want to." Her mouth quirked up as she glanced up at Malfoy. "He's an exception to the rule, too, only in reverse. Motherfucker should've been asian. Tiny dick." She pushed a hand through her hair, mouth hardening. "Anyway, so Eddie comes in, talkin' shit like he thinks he's gonna be next."

"Next to-?"

"Fuck with me," she said and swallowed. "And that shit's definitely not happening."

"Because you don't want to?"

"And 'cause he wasn't gonna pay. And most of all, 'cause after Tiny, I ain't fucking with no one. Period." Her mouth turned down. "So he's being all fucking suggestive and I'm reaching for my knife, and I know Eddie, I've known him for a long ass time, like as long as I've known Taz, and he's harmless, but the fuckers were drinking and celebrating and shit, and Eddie can't hold his liquor. So then Taz comes in, 'cause," she blushed, "y'know, I'm done working and he holds the cash. So he obviously thinks something's up. I know he was just being dumb and stupid, but Taz gets jealous, and if he thought I had a thing for Eddie, it wouldn't be Eddie fault, that's for damn sure." She found she couldn't look at Malfoy, so she stared out over the crappy view.

"Did this Eddie guy try anything?" Malfoy asked evenly.

Lily shook her head. "No. It's just… He will. I know he will." She paused and moved to lean against a metal railing, looking down at murky blue-green water.

"Does that make you afraid?"

The redhead shrugged. "I'd stick him if I had to." She thought about Baby and her gut churned. "I'm not afraid for me." She could tell Malfoy was barely resisting asking her about that, but changed the subject. "Least, not of Eddie." She recalled the unfortunate refrigerator encounter and frowned more, the emotions rising within her. "But Taz should've taken my side. He knows I hate Eddie." Lily pushed her sunglasses up. "But he made it seem like it was my fault. Like I been secretly leading the retarded motherfucker on or some shit."

She sighed. "Taz gets jealous?" Malfoy pushed. Lily chuckled darkly.

"He gets threatened," she clarified. "He'd be fucked without me, and deep down I bet he knows it, but he acts like he's doing me a favour all the time." She frowned, lit her cigarette again after it had gone out and puffed.

"Why would he be fucked without you?"

Lily smiled. "He pays for protection. From cops mostly, so we don't gotta worry about our front door gettin' busted down every other day, but from other mini thugs and shit, too." She almost laughed. "After I moved in with him I kept asking why he'd say the rent was like three grand, 'cause, well you've seen my place. It ain't worth three grand. So then I find out for a nominal fee of twenty five hundred bucks a month, you can buy security from the mob." She pulled off her cigarette. "He couldn't afford it if he didn't have me."

Malfoy's mouth turned down slightly. "Are you afraid of Taz?" he asked in a flat tone.

The redhead's smile faded. "Sometimes," she admitted. "He has a temper. He doesn't like when I back chat him."

She finished her smoke and tossed her butt in the water, watching it float lazily with the waves. "About what?"

"Anything. His business, my business, my johns, his friends. You name it." She rubbed her hands over her arms. "Don't get me wrong, there's good shit. He has his moments." She tried to find one. "It's not all bad. Like, sometimes when it's early, and Taz is still sleeping, I'll go and get into bed with him, and those are the best times, 'cause there's no extra shit, right? It's just us."

"What do you talk about?" Malfoy murmured.

Lily's brows pulled together. "Talk about?" she repeated, confused.

"Yes. You and Taz. When you get into bed with him and it's just you two, what do you talk about?" Her brows threatened to become a single entity.

"We don't talk about anything," she said. "I go in there and lay with him and when he wakes up we fuck." She looked up to see Malfoy's brows lifting. "What?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing," he said lightly.

Lily felt even more offended by that. "No, you obviously think it's fucked, don't you?" she accused. Malfoy shrugged.

"I just don't understand." His tone was light, easy going, and utterly without inflection. His eyes stared hard at her, as though trying to figure out what the fuck was wrong with her, and Lily hated that stare. She felt her temper flare.

"Well you don't have to," she snapped. "Taz and I don't talk, okay? The fuck we gonna talk about? Huh? My parents been married for thirty years, living in a million dollar house in the fucking suburbs. Taz grew up in the ghetto, never met his worthless nigger father, and his mama died when he was ten. The only things we got in common are blow and his big black dick."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Your arguments for staying with him are overwhelming," he said with a hint of disdain.

"The fuck's your problem, Malfoy?" she snapped. "You fuckin' jealous or some shit?" She got up in his face. "You think you got something better to offer, Malfoy, huh?"

"My problem, at the moment, is you. And yes, I'm entirely positive I could offer better, not that I've any intentions of offering it."

"How the fuck am I your problem?" she growled.

"Because you look at me with those big fucking eyes one second, drawing me in, hinting at the secrets in there, and then when I get to the door you slam it shut in my face and give me some bullshit about snorting drugs and being a whore. You give nothing, everything has to be unraveled, and with your fucking pimp breathing down your neck, it's not going to happen and it's driving me crazy. It's infuriating. And you say one breath you love him, and the next you tell me he'd let his fucking friend do God only knows what to you and then punish you for it. I'm not jealous, I'm-" He broke off abruptly, and put his hands up. "This can't happen," he said firmly.

"What?" she demanded. His jaw flexed and he shook his head snapping his camera shut and stuffing it in his laptop bag over his shoulder.

"This. I can't…" His head shook again. "You're bad for me." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's not your fault," he said quickly. "It's mine. I knew it would happen, the second I looked at you. I knew…" His head shook a third time.

"Knew what?" Lily pushed. His jaw flexed again. She pushed his chest. "Come on, Hollywood, spit it out. Knew what? Knew I'd be a shitty candidate for your movie?" He looked away. She pushed him again. "Knew I'd be the exception to the rule, like Salty said? That you couldn't just make me spill everything?" Malfoy still wouldn't look at her and she felt her temper rage. She made to push him again, but he caught her wrists. "Knew what?" she demanded, trying to tug free. "Knew I'd probably fuck this shit up too?" she asked, and choked on a sob.

She didn't resist the gentle urging of his arms and hands to bring her close, pressing her face into his shirt, breathing in the smell of him, and although she hated herself for it, she clung to him, eyes burning as she tried to hold in the stupid, traitorous fucking tears. "I knew you'd be the one that would divert me," he said quietly, and she heard the words rumbling through his chest.

"What does that even mean?" she asked.

Malfoy sighed, but he didn't release her and she made no move to pull back. He was warm and solid and comforting. "It means I can't stop thinking about you," he said, tone lowering roughly. "I want to know you, inside out, and every time I think this is it, after this I'll have enough, it's never enough." She didn't move a muscle, didn't even dare to breath. "And that's why you're bad for me, Lily. You're like the drink. I don't know how to say no when you're right there in front of me, staring at me, promising everything, delivering nothing."

The words felt like something sharp, stabbing up into her chest from the inside. She pulled out of the embrace abruptly, turning without saying a word and walked away. Malfoy didn't call her back and he didn't follow and the redhead couldn't decide if she was happy about it or not. She pulled out her phone and dialed Taz, pausing halfway, then hung up. She didn't want to see Taz. She didn't want to hear him tell her to suck it up, and get her ass ready for working. She thought about the blow in her purse, but that was only a temporary fix. Same as the bottle at home in her freezer.

Instead she dialed a number she hadn't dialed in a long time. "Hello?" said the male voice on the end, exhausted, scratchy with sleep.

"Hey," she said softly. "It's me."

There was the sound of muffled rustling. "Lily?"

Her mouth quirked. "What other woman would call you first thing in the morning, James?" she said in a mock stern voice.

"What do you want?" he sighed. She clenched her jaw, tempted to tell him to never mind, fuck off and go back to sleep. Instead, she sucked in a deep breath.

"I know you're probably busy with the baby and shit, um, is now a bad time?" she murmured, hugging her arms around herself, waiting for the sting of rejection.

"No, no we're up." There was a long pause. "Did… Did you want to come by?"

Lily almost sagged with relief, emotions rising to choke her. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'm on my way."

She could picture James nodding. "We'll be here."

When Lily got to her older brother's front door, she hesitated. She'd been to James's house precisely once, when she'd been seeing Ian, not long after James and Marie got married. She'd never been invited back. And even though she had been invited this time, she felt like a stranger standing, staring at the front door. She couldn't even remember what the inside looked like. She'd been high off her face back then. With a trembling hand, she knocked softly.

James opened the door, hair a mess, five o'clock shadow heavy on his face, and wearing pyjamas. "Shit," he mumbled, standing back and letting her in. Lily pulled off her sunglasses, hearing a fussy baby from upstairs. "I didn't really think you'd… Never mind."

She followed him into the kitchen as Marie hollered from upstairs, "James! Bottle!"

Her mouth flickered into a smile as James made a bottle at lightning speed. "Coming!" he hollered back. "I'll be right back," he said, and disappeared. Lily glanced around the slightly topsy turvy kitchen. There were dirty dishes in the sink and a half unloaded dishwasher of clean ones. She set her purse down and started unloading the dishwasher. She didn't know where to put the clean dishes, so she stacked them neatly on a free space of counter and began loading the dishwasher again with dirty ones from the sink. She noticed there were an awful lot of coffee cups and smirked a tiny bit. "You don't have to do that," James said quietly and Lily's head whipped around.

"Oh, I…" She trailed off and shrugged. "I dunno where you keep everything, so you'll have to put those away," she said lightly, pointing to the clean dishes.

"So, not to sound like a prick, but what's up? What do you want?" James asked after the dishes were put away. Lily sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and picked at her nails.

"You told Mom and Dad," she said, trying not to let the words be tinged with accusation.

James sighed, mussing his already messy hair. "Yeah," he breathed. "I was talking to Al, and Dad overheard. And of course, then Mom asked." He frowned. "Al figured it out already. Said there was no way you had no job and still managed to get-" He broke off and looked at her as Lily's mouth twisted.

"You can say it," she sighed. "Get high. He's not wrong," she mumbled. "Blow isn't cheap." James's mouth pursed. "Look, this is fucked. Why doesn't anyone ever talk about shit?" she asked after a tense, silent moment. James got up and made himself a coffee.

"I dunno. We just...don't." He frowned some more and Lily realized he must frown a lot, because the lines in his face deepened.

Lily swallowed. "Well then we should start," she said, trying to sound firm and in control. James snorted and the redhead fought the urge to just bail. "I'll go first," she said, staring at the counter top, unable to meet his brown eyes, knowing she'd see judgement and disgust and exhaustion there. "I'm addicted to drugs and alcohol. I pay for my habit by fucking black guys. My boyfriend sells cocaine." James's jaw was clenched when she glanced up, and she dropped her gaze again. _Open up, don't make him dig every last bit out_. The voice in her mind sounded like Malfoy's. She licked her lips. "Okay, that was a half truth," she admitted, frowning at her nails. They were chipped to shit. "He's not really my boyfriend. I guess he's my pimp." She looked up again, unable to look her eldest brother in the face, and stared at the faucet beside him. "And at this precise moment, I really want to go into your bathroom and snort a line, because this shit's really awkward and hard."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Lily," he muttered and she shrugged. She'd done her part.

"Yeah," she said and blew out a breath. "And I'd appreciate if you could stop mentioning shit to Mom and Dad," she added. "It's hard enough without them knowing everything. And Mom… Mom doesn't need to know."

"Why?" James asked at last. "Why are you telling me all this?" Lily's brows went up.

"You told me to stop pushing everyone away," she said. Then a lightbulb clicked on for her and she looked down, face going red. She should've fucking known. "But you didn't mean you. Okay. Well, this is now unbearably awkward. I'll just go."

She grabbed her purse and slid from her seat, but James caught up to her. "Don't be an idiot, of course I meant me," he said. Lily stood, half in the foyer half in the kitchen, looking at her flip flops. "Sorry, this is… I don't know what…" He rubbed both hands over his face. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say, or do, or-"

"It's fine," she said over him, brushing past him toward the door. "You got your own shit to handle, James. I don't need you to handle mine too. I should go anyway."

"No," he said. Lily paused and glanced up nervously. "I mean. Just… Just wait." She watched him go upstairs and sighed, but then he came back down with baby Felix, patting his back and murmuring into his ear. The baby made a sad noise of displeasure that made Lily's stomach clench. James paused at the foot of the stairs and she wondered why the hell he'd brought the adorable little fucker down. She fisted her hands to resist the urge to touch the baby, grab him up and snuggle him close. "Do you want to hold him?" James asked softly, rocking a little. Felix made another grumpy noise. "He's a little gassy, but Mom's right. He gives great hugs."

Lily blinked back tears. "I'd love to," she breathed, and accepted the burp cloth first, covering her tank and pushing her hair back. She was extra cautious of her nails as she picked him up, his tiny body emanating a warmth that settled deep in her chest when she held him to her.

"Just pat his back, don't worry, you're not gonna break him, and he usually calms down." She shifted her weight back and forth instinctively and patted his little back gently, afraid to pat too hard in case James took him back.

"Holy fuck," she breathed, trying to contain her euphoria, breathing in the smell of baby innocence, her lady parts aching for one of her own a little. "Hi, little man," she breathed as he opened his eyes blearily and looked at her. His face scrunched up in a silent cry, breaking the redhead's heart. "Oh, it's okay, little man, you just gotta get those burps out, don't you?" she murmured. "Yeah, it sucks, buddy," she said, forgetting her brother was standing there. She pat little Felix's back a bit harder and laughed when a large burp erupted and he smiled briefly. Then she got a whiff of something that wasn't burp and her eyes went wide. "Wow, you're cute, but you stink, little man," she said and smiled when he smiled at her again.

"He likes you," James said at last, taking the stinky infant back. "He doesn't burp for Mom." Lily felt a wriggle of pride.

"Thanks, Jamie," she murmured, and wiped her eyes, because they were getting misty.

"Thank you, Lils," he said seriously. "Do you need-?"

"I'm good," she said. "Just one thing?" she added, pausing at the door again.

"Sure."

The redhead smirked. "Buy your wife a pack of cigarettes and don't say a fucking word when you see her smoking them." James frowned, but Lily, who saw Marie's slippers at the top of the stairs, smiled and headed out, turning her feet toward home.

Her buoyant mood dwindled as the prosperity of neighbourhoods declined around her. When she got to her apartment, she was feeling decidedly depressed, and almost positive her movie shit with Malfoy was over. She went inside and dropped her purse on the counter, got her bottle and took a long drink.

"The fuck you fucking been, bitch?" Taz demanded when she sat beside him and lit a cigarette.

"I went to go see my brother," she said, taking out her blow and tipping out a big pile. She picked up a razor to carve it into a line, but Taz grabbed her wrist.

"For what?" he growled. Lily grit her teeth.

"To see my fucking nephew, you motherfucker," she snarled. "Hence why I fucking went at the crack of fucking dawn, so I'd get to hold the little fucker."

Taz released her smirking. "Whatever, bitch. You get your baby holdin' fix?" he drawled.

She smiled a little at the memory. "Uh huh," she murmured, and then pushed it out as she carved her line. The remembered euphoria of snuggling with her nephew was like the memory of her first cocaine high. If she dwelled on it, she'd live for trying to recapture it. But Lily doubted any chemical high could compare to seeing that little grumpy old man face smiling his toothless smile at her. She snorted her line and felt a jolt of chemical bliss then sniffled a bit.

There was a knock at the door. "Get it, bitch," Taz said, smacking her thigh. She got up and answered it, letting Ty and Baby in. The former looked mostly healed from his last brush with the WOP punks, and the latter looked like she hadn't slept yet. "You got my money, little man?" Taz barked.

Ty tossed a couple wads, held together with elastics, onto the coffee table. "Always," he said.

Taz picked up the smaller of the two. "You make them pay up front?" Lily's mouth turned down, because she assumed that was Baby's earnings.

"Course," Ty muttered, sitting down. Taz passed him the blunt and he puffed, tugging Baby to sit with him. Lily set up another line as Taz counted the money, then he threw a very slim dime bag at the Latina girl.

"Don't sniff it all at once," he said, picking up the other wad of cash now. Ty pocketed the dime bag and Lily arched a brow. Baby snuggled up to him, turned her face into his neck and whispered something in his ear, her small hand dragging down his chest and stomach. The redhead almost giggled, snorted her line, and pinched her nose to hold in the urge to sneeze. "You got Juan coming later, bitch," Taz said as she picked up her smoke.

"The fuck? That lazy Mexican was here fucking yesterday."

Taz smirked. "He likes you" Hazel eyes rolled. "Said he'd be your mirror if you like. The fuck's that mean?"

Lily puffed off her cigarette. "Means he ain't as dumb as the average Mexican," she replied and Baby shot her a look. "Not you, mini bitch," she added. "Just your papi."

"So long as he don't turn into your papi chulo, bitch," Taz grumbled. Lily laughed.

When Juan showed up later, Lily was naked and waiting, high off her face, half drunk, and ready to fuck. "Back already, Cartel?" she purred, leaning back on her elbows.

"What can I say, Red," he replied, pulling his wife-beater off. It was black today. "I got a thing for white bitches with nasty mouths."

The redhead grinned, flicking her tongue at him. "You ain't even had the full experience with my nasty mouth, Cartel."

"Paciencia, Rojo. Pronto tendre esa boca cada vez que me gusta." Lily rolled her eyes. Everything outside 'Rojo' was beyond her, and she felt a flash of temper.

"You're not in Cuba, Cartel. Speak English."

He smirked, and tossed a fat bag of blow at her, then undid his pants. "Get over it, Red. Or get used to it. I'm not picky." After Cartel was finished, Lily went to shower, leaving the money on the night stand for Taz to come get, and as she slipped into the bathroom, she heard Cartel talking in Spanish to Baby. He sounded amused, she sounded offended.

Lily took Baby out for 'lessons' after her shower, and demanded she repeat what Cartel had told her. Baby's mouth pursed. "He said once he has you hooked, he'd think about taking me too."

The redhead frowned. "The fuck's that mean?"

Baby shrugged. "He's kind of an assclown," she mumbled and Lily smirked a bit at that.

"Thought you liked the ones that speak Spanish?" she drawled.

Baby snorted. "When they say nice things, maybe," she said. "But I think I prefer the black cock."

Lily laughed. "That's how I know you's my fucking protege," she teased and lit the girl a smoke.

XXX


	8. Chapter 8

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.

XXX

To her surprise, Malfoy phoned her two days later. She'd just finished off a very profitable evening, thanks largely in part to the premium blow, Taz was in a good mood, and she'd just snorted what had to be her eighth line. "The fuck d'you want, Hollywood?" she grumbled.

"Salty wants some shots, and we have your final interview." Lily gulped, because final meant the end. Goodbye to Malfoy and those damnable grey eyes that had somehow, subconsciously, become the one thing she thought about in the most unpleasant moments of her days. She told herself she was happy about that, 'cause she'd have a nice fat paycheck. She loved money. There was still an ache in her chest at the thought of the end.

"Sounds like it'll be a real hoot," she drawled sarcastically. "When?"

There was a slight pause. "How about you let me know when you have a night off." She frowned and he hung up on her, making her jaw drop.

"That motherfucker!" she snarled.

"The fuck Hollywood want?" Taz mumbled, blunt in his lips.

"He wants a night for my final interview or some shit." A corner of Taz's mouth turned up. "A whole night, Taz," she said, rolling her eyes when he frowned.

"Fine. Go Friday night, bitch." She frowned. "That dumb ass cracker's payin' you by the hour. You snort a whole bag if you need to fucking stay up and talk, bitch."

"But what-?"

Taz grabbed her by the hair roughly with one hand, plucking his blunt from between his lips with another, and pulled her in close. "Did I fucking stutter, bitch? You're gonna fucking go and make the fucking green, and if I have to fucking repeat myself, you gonna go lookin' like a dumb fucking coke whore with a fat lip." She grit her teeth, biting back the hundred names she wanted to call him, and pulled from her bottle on the coffee table instead until the retorts died. She snorted another line and then Taz's hand slid up her thigh. "And that means you gonna owe me, bitch."

"Yeah?" she murmured, sitting back.

"You bet, bitch." His hand slid up further, right up under her dress, and he cupped her through her panties. "So I best be wakin' up with this wet and ready to get fucked Friday morning, you fucking whore." She pushed his hand down.

Friday morning, when Lily woke up to the sound of a truck backing up, chugging forward, then backing up again repetitively, she felt instantly edgy, barely controlling the urge to scream at whoever was driving the truck to shut the fuck up and park already. Her phone told her it was seven thirty, and she scowled, the truck still doing it's annoying routine, then sat up and lit a smoke. Her head pounded and her entire body ached. For one long moment she bowed her head, trying to find the will to stand up, stumble to the bathroom, and start her day. She took a long puff off her cigarette and stood up at last. Her shoulders slumped, back aching, and she felt heavier than she'd ever felt, and further down than she'd ever imagined possible. And she knew precisely why. This was it. Friday. The end day. She was excited and scared in equal measure.

After her shower, Lily slipped into Taz's room and into his bed, moulding herself to fit against him while he slept. She frowned, trying to get comfortable, but something felt...wrong. Off. Entirely different and yet elusive and she was entirely unable to pinpoint what. Taz looked the same, and smelled the same, and most especially, felt the same way against her flesh as he always had. But something was definitely still off. And then it clicked in her brain. She wasn't high. And it was the first time she could recall ever just being with Taz, naked and in bed, while not high.

She made to slip out of bed, if only to go do a line or two, confused and wondering why she hadn't bothered, but then Taz grunted, rolled over, and tugged her up against his front. "The fuck you want, bitch?" he rumbled, but his mouth tilted into a sleepy smirk.

"I just gotta go-" she mumbled, turning away, but he pulled her back easily.

"You ain't gotta do nothing that don't involve staying right the fuck here," he said, and she bit her lip as his hand roved over her ass and down, hooking her thigh around him. Lily didn't resist when he kissed her and gasped with surprise when he rolled her atop him. As his hands on her hips guided her to roll against him she groaned, slowly relaxing into it. And when she sank down onto him, Lily couldn't recall a time she'd fucked with Taz when she hadn't been at least under the influence, if not high or drunk outright, either.

Her brows pulled together, because while it was pleasurable, she felt as though she were having sex with a stranger. Lily tried to focus, but the maddening thoughts persisted. Who was this man beneath her? She looked at him properly for the first time in a long while and almost frowned. He was still Taz, as he'd always been. Creamy chocolate skin, intricate cornrows, dark eyes, that platinum plated canine tooth. Why did everything feel so fucking _wrong_!?

"Fuck bitch, you contemplating fucking life?" he growled, and rolled them abruptly, pulled out, and had her over on her stomach in the next breath. She grunted when he lifted her hips, filling her again, and braced herself on her elbows. Lily felt something hot burning the back of her throat as she tried to block out the sounds of Taz's breathing, their flesh meeting abruptly with every thrust, and the slight creak of one of the mattress springs. It was impossible, and although she tried to get into it, tried to enjoy herself, she couldn't relax or shake the feeling that she didn't know the man behind her, _fucking_ her, at all. "Fuck yeah, that's it, bitch," Taz grunted and she closed her eyes, but couldn't drown out the sounds. She grit her teeth as he thrust harder and faster, because it was no longer even remotely pleasurable. And then with a grunt, he finished, collapsing onto her, and she was pinned under him. Her mind was whirling, and she felt sick, and anxious and her breathing wasn't working properly.

Lily got back to her bedroom on autopilot. The door lock clicking snapped her back to reality. Her hands were shaking, breathing coming in rapid, shallow pants, anxiety threatening to choke her. God, she need a line. She need a fucking line and a drink and a cigarette and a fucking soft grey t-shirt that smelled good to bury her face in and the eyes that matched. Those perfect fucking dark grey, steady eyes that promised she could trust them. Her hands shook so bad she dumped half her bag. She didn't care. She snorted until her nose felt like it was going to be permanently tingly and the taste of coke in her throat almost choked her.

Lily picked up her phone, knowing it was pointless to look for a message from Hollywood, but doing it anyway. She found a message from her brother Al and frowned. He never texted her unless absolutely necessary. _James says we're doing the open, talk about shit family thing now with you. Or you're doing it with us. I'm not sure, you know Jamie. Half sentences. So since that's the case, I'm gonna say my thing. I'm mad at you, because you were always Mom's favourite, and you're baby of the whole family, and everyone loved you the most, and then you decided to hate us. Why is that? Get back to me, Lily._

It was so very typical Albus. To the point, succinct, and unabashed, and she almost smiled, mind hazy. She pressed reply, sniffling, nose still burning and fought the urge to sneeze for a second. The redhead stared at the screen for a long time, then her thumbs moved, slow and hesitant. _I guess it works both ways. And I never hated you, you're the one who stopped talking to me. I just...this is fucked. I just did a bunch of lines and I'm too high, but it's not working. Something's wrong. It doesn't feel right._ Lily looked at her message and then deleted it. What the fuck was the point?

Her eyes drifted over the little screen on her phone, and she found herself looking at Malfoy's last message, and she tapped out a reply. _You're the exception to every rule except one._

She got up, feeling dizzy and buzzed and like her heart was beating too fast. The room seemed to spin, her thudding pulse pounding a loud tempo in her head and she stumbled. She was hot, too hot, sweating profusely, and for a split second she wondered if she was having a heart attack, because the pounding in her head picked up speed. She sucked in a shuddering breath and the world righted itself. She was clammy, drenched in sweat, and felt nauseous. She picked up her phone and frowned.

 _Which one is that?_

Lily frowned deeper. _The one where I don't give a fuck about guys who are paying customers_. She felt drained and empty and flicked to Ian's last message, sending him an extra mushy one. And as expected, his response buzzed in within moments. And she told herself if he believed all the things he said about her, they must be true.

Lily tried to shake off the funk she'd felt upon waking all day, but it proved impossible, even after too many lines. Taz dropped her off at six at the Grandview, and she knocked on the door to room one sixteen. Salts answered, camera and sound equipment on. "Shall we?" he asked gallantly, and Lily shrugged, wandering through the ever deepening twilight with him as he filmed her. She told herself she wasn't wondering where Malfoy was.

She paused leaning against the side of a building, to light a smoke, and some guys in a car hollered at her as they cruised by. She flashed them the finger and one of the guys shouted he'd give her something to fuck. Lily sucked her teeth and Salts tilted his head at her. "What?" she snapped, and pushed a hand through her hair roughly, pulling hard on her smoke.

"My daughter has red hair. It's lighter than yours, but it's getting darker." She forced a brittle smile.

"Yeah? She's probably gonna have the temper to go with it Salty. Just a head's up."

He smirked. "I know. My mother had red hair too." His smile softened. "You seem like a good person, despite it all, you know. And if you ever did get your shit together and finish your college degree, I'd hope my daughter had a guidance counselor like you. For the heavy shit."

Lily's smile wavered. "Why not just hope for no heavy shit?" she mumbled.

"'Cause everyone has heavy shit. Some people just carry theirs better." She looked up, mouth parting, and smiled a genuine smile.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Yup." He popped the P and Lily smirked, and then he added softly, "And for the record, I'd let you hold my baby."

The memory of holding her nephew rushed back and she felt her eyes well up, smiling and then laughing a little before it caught on a quiet sob. "Thanks Salty," she whispered, and pulled off her smoke, looking away to dry her eyes. "So, we almost done prowling around, or what?"

"Yeah, we can head back."

When they got back to the hotel room, Malfoy was there, and, even though she told herself it wasn't because he was there, Lily felt herself relaxing a tiny bit. Salts set up his camera and sound stuff, then glanced at his watch. "Go, Salty, I've got it," Malfoy said, sounding amused. Salts blushed a tiny bit, then, to Lily's surprise, he leaned down and hugged her. It felt like when her father used to hug her and she hugged back.

"I hope I'll see you again someday," he said softly with a significant look, and then sauntered out.

Lily half glared at Malfoy. "So?" she said after a long moment. "We gonna get this show on the road, or what?"

His mouth tilted a tiny bit and he shook his head once, slowly. "Alright," he said at last. "What are you most afraid of?"

Lily almost laughed. "Spiders," she said, feeling distinctly contrary. She wanted to give enough bullshit answers that Malfoy would have to see her again. She wanted to hold back so he'd try to dig out more. But then she looked into his steady grey eyes and the urge crumbled. She'd never wanted to open up to another person more. And Lily didn't think to resist. "Honestly, though?" she murmured. "I'm most afraid of having my protege end up just like me." Malfoy didn't ask, but he didn't have to. "Her name's Baby." Lily swallowed, because she was pretty sure she was guilty by association concerning Baby. She may not have fucked her personally, but she may as well have. "She's fifteen. And Taz wants to send her out to grown ass men, but I convinced him she's not ready." Her mouth pursed. "No fucking girl is ready for that shit at fifteen."

"How did you meet her?" Malfoy murmured.

lily sucked in a breath. "It wasn't long after I met you, actually," she began. "Taz's favourite runner and mini dealer, Ty, I guess he's kind of like Taz's protege, brought her around one day." She picked at her nails. "And I taught her all the tricks of the trade." Her mouth quirked down. "But I don't wanna see her just throw her life away for drugs and hooking, y'know?"

Malfoy's mouth lifted in a small smile. "I do." She bit her lip, blushing, because those two little words had left her feeling more exposed and vulnerable than ever. but, at the same time, she felt a rush of warmth welling up inside.

They talked for three hours before Lily insisted on a cigarette. He followed her outside, to her mingled delight and chagrin. "I don't need a chaperone," she said teasingly, lighting up. He eyed some gangbanger kids shuffling by across the street.

"Humour me," he said lightly. "This isn't exactly a nice part of town."

She snorted. "You're a walking contradiction," she mumbled. His brows pulled together.

"How so?"

"You say you don't care then act like you do. You tell me you'll hold my hand and shit, and then tell me I'm as bad as fucking liquor for you when you're a recovering alcoholic." Her mouth turned down when his lifted into a smile.

"You must be rubbing off on me," he replied.

She pulled hard off her cigarette. "The fuck's that mean?"

His smile tilted up crookedly. "You play it off like you're tough and hard and you don't give a shit about anything when you do, in fact rather a lot, and on the inside you're still a thirteen year old girl who doesn't get why she was singled out for being pretty by a pervert." She stared, mouth parted, torn between laughing it off and telling him to go fuck himself and crying. "And you act like you don't need anyone's help, but you still want me to hold your hand." She flinched at the softness in his voice, and swallowed when he reached for her hand. "But most of all, you push everyone away when you don't really want them to go."

"You don't know me," she snapped, tugging her hand free, and he grinned.

"Don't I?" he drawled. "I know almost anything there is to know about you."

"Except my favourite colour," she snapped.

"It's green," he said easily and she glared. "Are you almost finished?" he asked, looking across the street again.

"If I'm annoying, you're just as bad, Hollywood," she grumbled, crushing her smoke out. They went back to the room and Lily went to the bathroom to snort again. "So, you asked me all the questions yet?" she asked as she sat down again.

"Just about," he said. "So is there anything else you'd like to say?"

She pursed her mouth, then threw caution to the winds. She wasn't gonna see Hollywood again after this, right? Exactly. "Sure," she said lightly. "I'm a regular chatterbox." His mouth quirked up a little. "I wanna talk about you." His dark grey eyes, looking guarded, flashed up from where he was scribbling in his notebook.

"Me?"

"Uh huh." She pushed a hand through her hair.

His mouth quirked down the tiniest bit. "Very well."

"You're kind of a prick." A brow lifted. "You are," she said. "And for being a filmmaker, you're awful judgmental." Both eyebrows went up. "I can tell, y'know, when someone doesn't like me. And you like me."

His mouth pursed. "Really?" he drawled.

"Uh huh. You like me, and you hate that you like me 'cause you don't want to." He stared at her. "I can't blame you, I'm pretty fucking great, honestly. Lots of people like me." Her head tilted. "But you're the only one who doesn't _want_ to like me."

"Why do you think that is?" he murmured, tone flat.

"'Cause you're a stubborn prick." His mouth tilted up a little. "And 'cause I'm a bad influence, like you said." She smirked a little, feeling cocky and overconfident and utterly untouchable, high as a fucking kite after her last line. "Which is true. 'Cause if you like me, that means you still like the drink." She leaned forward, bracing her hands between her legs on the chair, and tossed her hair. "Right?"

"I've always liked the drink," he said. "Fuck, I love the drink. Lots. It doesn't love me back."

Her mouth curved. "Exactly. Which is why you don't want to like me. 'Cause I don't like you back."

He snorted, smirking that same damnable smirk he'd worn when she first met him. The one that underestimated her. "Of course not. I'm white."

She laughed a little at that. "This is one of them racially exempt things. Even if you was black, I probably wouldn't like you." She moved her hands to brace an elbow on the arm of her chair, crossing her legs. "Wanna know why?"

"Do enlighten me," he drawled.

"'Cause you're a prick. It's like a circle." She smirked. "I don't like you 'cause you're a prick, you don't want to like me 'cause I don't like you, which makes you a giant prick. See? A circle."

He rolled his eyes, still smirking. "And, just to be accurate, you've had how much cocaine today?"

Her eyes narrowed. "That's what I'm talking about, Malfoy. That right there. You're being a prick."

"You're making grandiose assumptions that have very little basis in fact." He mimicked her position. "Would you say that's a normal side effect in cocaine abuse?"

"My assumptions got lots of basis in fact, motherfucker," she said blandly. "Do you like me?"

He shrugged, still smirking. "You have your moments. Right now? No, I do not."

"That's right," she said. "You don't like Red, do you? Just Lily." She smirked. "That's kinda funny. You know how I got the nickname Red?"

"Your hair." She snorted.

"Surprisingly, no. Donovan gave me the nickname Red. He was the really nice guy I fucked all summer before grade ten and before he went off to Michigan State to play ball." Her mouth curved up again. "He used to make me blush on purpose, so I'd be red. And then he'd call me Red." She smirked. "So if anything, you should like Red. She came around when I was seeing the nicest guy of the lot."

"You said your parents loved Donovan," he said, and she shrugged.

" _Everyone_ loved Donovan."

"Did you?" he asked. She frowned.

"Sure."

"Really," he said. "The same way you love Taz?" he asked. Her frown deepened.

"No. They're two different people. And Donovan was the sweetest fucking guy on the planet."

"But you gave the same response when I asked you the same question about both of them."

Her mouth pursed. "You're doing the prick thing again," she grumbled.

"I think you just think I'm a prick when I ask you questions that make you uncomfortable."

"I think you're a prick all the fucking time," she snarled.

"Then why do you want me to hold your hand?" She stared. "Because you do like me. Maybe just the tiniest bit. And that's why I don't want to like you. You see it's like a big circle." Her eyes narrowed. "You like me, but pretend you don't, which irritates me and makes me act like a prick, which gives you fodder to convince yourself you don't like me, but you keep liking me, because I'm persistent and pushy and, let's face it, I'm pretty fucking amazing. I mean really, look at me. What's not to like, am I right?"

"Fuck you, Scorpius," she muttered. "You're fucked."

He blinked. "What?"

"I said fuck you, you're fucked, fucker," she growled. "Fuck you really must be deaf."

"No, no," he said, grinning a little. "The bit between the fuck you and you're fucked."

Lily stood up, hating that she was blushing at the slip. "This is fucking pointless. You're acting like a baby."

"Probably," he admitted. "It's late, I'm tired, and you're sitting here antagonizing me. What did you expect?"

Her mouth pursed. "I guess not professionalism."

"Then I suppose there's just one more question," he said, pushing a hand through his hair as he stood up too.

"What?" she demanded.

His mouth curved up and even though she hated herself for it, Lily couldn't help but notice he looked good, really good, when he half smiled like that. "Where would you like your check mailed to? Your apartment?" His half smile faded. "Or should I just have them make it out to Taz?"

Lily felt like she'd been slapped, and normally that was enough to make her walk away. But this time, her fight or flight instinct clicked over into fight. She shoved him, and hard, feeling a surge of pleasure when he stumbled back a little. "You're a fucking piece of work, Malfoy," she spat. "I might be a goddamn coke whore, but you should be fucking embarrassed right now that I'm more of a professional than you are."

He sneered and, the redhead hated it, he looked just as good when his mouth curled with derision. "With all due respect, _Red_ , your judgement and opinion of me means absolutely nothing. You sell your body to the highest bidder on a regular basis, you live with an abusive excuse for a man who is pretty much your pimp but you can't admit it, your coping mechanism for handling trauma is sniffing drugs, and despite all of that, you think I care what you think?" He snorted.

Lily glared. "Of course you care, or you wouldn't be standing here arguing the point with me."

His jaw flexed. "Fuck you, Lily," he ground out. She smirked.

"Don't you just wish, Hollywood. Unfortunately, that's extra, and your production company won't allow you to pay me the required cash. And I doubt you can declare 'fucking a prostitute' on your taxes as a business expense." She hooked her purse into her elbow and moved closer. "You can mail the check to my parents' house." He didn't reply as she headed to the door, and she glanced back over her shoulder at him. "See you at the Oscars, Hollywood. Don't forget, you owe me a date if you get nominated."

He snapped his notebook shut. "If you're sober, it's a date."

She looked at him, all dark grey eyes and blond hair and that damnable fucking grey t-shirt she knew was soft and warm and would smell like him. He was the very image of 'good for her'. She was torn between laughing and crying, because if he was the epitome of 'good for her', she was undoubtedly the epitome of 'really fucking bad for him'. And that was the clincher and the kicker and the fucking injustice of it all. "Then I guess I'll see you around, Hollywood."

"Probably not," he muttered and she slipped out, closing the door softly behind herself, wondering, as she walked down the hallway, why it felt like she was walking away from the light.

She wandered home alone, ignoring the drunk propositions from three different guys, pretending she didn't hear the catty snarls from other hookers, flaunting their wares on street corners, and walked, heavy hearted, up to her apartment. Once inside, she grabbed her frosty bottle from the freezer and drank. She wanted to black out and not have to see the haunting image of those dark grey eyes, watching her walk out, whenever she closed her eyes.

Ty was in the living room, sitting on the couch, smoking a blunt, his shooting game paused. Taz was nowhere in sight. The fuck? "Where's Taz?" she asked, moving to sit on the couch with Ty. He looked surprised to see her through his bloodshot, droopy lidded gaze.

"Thought you was hanging out with the cracker," Ty said softly. Lily frowned, pulling out her dime bag and dumping the last of it.

"Yeah. Hollywood got whatever the fuck he needed and now I'm done." She picked up a blade and lined up her coke. "Where's Taz?" she asked again. Taz never went out during business hours, and if it was absolutely necessary to leave, he sure as hell never left little Ty in charge.

"Busy," Ty said blandly, but she saw his mouth turn down.

"The fuck's he doing?" she snapped, then sniffed her long, fat line. Ty didn't reply, but he glanced at her significantly, and then flicked his eyes back to her room. She felt her brows draw together, took a long pull from her bottle and stood up. "I swear to fucking God," she murmured, grabbing into her purse for her switchblade. If Taz had another woman in her bed, she would cut his fucking dick right the fuck off.

Ty picked up his controller, and started his game again, blissfully oblivious. Lily walked slowly, her heart pounding, dread unfurling heavily in her stomach. As she stood at the almost closed door to her own room, she heard the unmistakable, telltale grunts that had her knuckles going white on her switchblade. She tried to take a deep breath, but her lungs wouldn't cooperate. She pushed the door wide and several things happened at once as time slowed. The switchblade clattered to the floor from her hand, Taz's head whipped round, Lily's mouth fell open, and Baby, her protege, her mini bitch, looking like she was trying to hold back the urge to cry, poked her head up. And it was like staring at her reflection in the mirror all those years ago. The shame, humiliation, fear, loathing, all of it staring back at her through Baby's face.

"You," she said, nausea and rage warring within her.

"Get the fuck out, bitch, I'm fucking busy," Taz growled.

"You," she repeated stupidly, mouth agape. And then time kicked back into overdrive, and Lily wasn't coherent. She just knew Taz knew better, Baby was a fucking little girl, and she was going to murder him. She was vaguely aware of screaming, she lashed out with fists and nails and knees, and there was the awful, sickening sound of someone sobbing.

She ran at Taz, switchblade forgotten, and forcibly dragged him off Baby, shouting wildly for her to get the fuck out, get out of the room, the apartment, out of this whole fucking cluster-fuck. Taz, after his initial shock wore off, was pinning her down, one hand fisted brutally in her hair, and the other came down before the redhead realized it. Pain erupted on the side of her face, and there was still that awful sobbing. Baby was still naked, clutching the sheet, eyes huge and mouth open. Lily screamed at her again. Taz bellowed at her to stay where she was. His hand closed around Lily's throat.

"You gonna regret not listening this time, you fucking bitch," he growled, face centimeters from her own. Lily grit her teeth, chest burning, feeling herself choking. "Couldn't fucking do what you were told, could you, you dumb fucking bitch?"

"You're disgusting, you fucking piece of shit," she spat out. His hand tightened and she dug her nails into his arm. "You gonna fucking kill me?" she wheezed from between clenched teeth. "You're fucking twisted. Fucking crazy, retarded fucking _nigger_." His teeth bared in fury and she felt his other hand come down with terrific force against her skull again. "You gonna kill me?" she repeated, trying to claw his face.

"And I'm gonna fucking love every second of it, bitch," he promised, face contorted. "I don't even care if Juan reneges on our deal. Seeing the fucking life leave those big fucking eyes gonna be worth more than two kilos." His mouth twisted into a horrifying impression of a smile, and while she could still breathe, her chest felt heavy as it all clicked into place. Taz had planned for Baby to be trained by her, as her replacement no doubt, and then she would be pawned off to Cartel. In exchange for a hefty amount of blow, no less. Taz's hand clenched. "And the best fucking part is, I'm still gonna come out on top, bitch." His mouth moved against her ear. "And maybe, just maybe, I'll get one last go with the little Baby."

She felt the edges of her vision darkening. She clawed at his arm, trying to push it away, panic finally seeping into her consciousness as consciousness slowly faded. She tried to draw breath, but there was only burning. Her lungs wouldn't work. "I told you, Lily," Taz whispered, "I fucking told you you stupid fucking dumb fucking coke fucking _whore_ , ain't no other men be treatin' you better than me. And I'ma fucking guarantee it." She felt his hand tighten painfully, lungs bursting, and the only thing she could think of was Scorpius Malfoy and those steady, intense, dark grey eyes.

A smile lit her face, because if she fucking died right then, it would be okay. She'd be looking at those eyes, promising her comfort. Just as blackness threatened to envelope her, a deafening bang sounded as if from far away and she felt Taz's hand loosen and heard someone screaming at the top of their lungs. The world went dark, and Lily Potter lost consciousness.

She first became aware of voices, and pushed vaguely at them, wanting them to shut the fuck up, she was sleeping. They faded, but then grew louder. She tried to tell the voices to go away, to shut up, but her voice wasn't working. There was one that rose above the rest, the annoying din and she winced, because her head was aching. "Go away," she mumbled, and tried to push the noises away. Why weren't they shutting the fuck up?

"Lily," said a familiar voice and she sighed. She tried to sit up, but she was pushed back down. "No, don't get up, honey," the voice murmured. "Everything's okay, honey, you're okay." It was her mother. Lily reached out, head pounding, and grabbed hold of something warm and solid. It was distinctly comforting. A hand. She was holding someone's hand and they were clutching hers.

"You gotta tell Hollywood," she mumbled, head still throbbing. She was tempted to open her eyes but they felt very heavy. "Tell him," she said, trying to focus. It was hard, because her head was fucking killing her. She needed a drink, and a line, and a long ass nap.

"Just rest, honey," her mother murmured and a warm hand stroked hair back from her face. She sighed, because that felt nice.

"No," she said, feeling the throbbing recede a little, her body relaxing. "You gotta tell him… Tell… Tell him...he's right. I do like him. I like him lots…" The darkness rushed up to meet her again, folding her in its soft comfort and blissful oblivion.

She wasn't sure how long she slept, but when she came to next, it was quiet and the warm hand holding hers had relaxed. She gripped it, feeling nauseous, and her tired brain chugged slowly into wakefulness. There was beeping and she sighed, because it was a comforting, steady beep. Her eyes fluttered shut and she let herself relax. And it all came back. Taz, Baby, them together in her bed. She bolted upright and was half out of bed before the shrill beep of a monitor had her mother jolting awake and a nurse came rushing in.

"Lily, honey, what-?"

"He was fucking her," she said, trying to draw in enough air. The horrible sensation of being strangled surfaced and she pulled at the hospital gown that wasn't anywhere near her throat. "He was fucking her, she's only fifteen, she's a fucking baby, I have to-"

The nurse pushed her firmly back into bed, looking stern. "Miss Potter, there's no need-"

"Fuck you! Yes there is!" She shoved the nurse back furiously, trying to get up, but her mother held her back this time.

"Lily, no one is-"

" _He was fucking her_!" she shouted,and Ginny recoiled. "He's a fucking grown ass man! He knows better! She's fifteen, Mom, fucking fifteen years old and he was fucking her!" The nurse and her mother exchanged worried looks. "Why are you standing here!? Call the fucking cops!" she shouted. She tried to get up, pulling at the things attached to her as two more nurses came in, and Lily wanted to scream, because they were all just standing there and didn't they realize what was happening!?

"Lily, honey," he mother said, eyes huge in her very pale face, "you're in the hospital, nothing bad is happening, it's all-"

"No!" she screamed. "No! I'm going to fucking kill that nigger!" She felt hands holding her down and fought against them, trying to get out of the stupid bed, wondering why no one turned off the stupid screeching monitor, and flailed wildly. One of the nurses pinned her arm down and she swung wildly, fist connecting to something solid. Another nurse moved in, but Lily, like a caged animal, lashed out again. Something poked into her, hard, and Lily screamed. A big black man, wearing green scrubs, walked in, looking pissed and Lily, seeing only Taz in her mind, fought harder. "I'm going to fucking kill you! How dare you! _She's a fucking baby you fucking pervert and I'm going to fucking kill you_!"

There was another poke and her limbs started to feel heavy. She fought harder as the giant man approached. "It's alright," he said easily. "Jus' calm down, miss."

" _Don't you fucking tell me to fucking calm down you fucking pedophile_! _I'm not letting it happen to her, motherfucker_!" Lily felt demented, furious, her breath coming in strangled gasps as she tried to attack the man, seeing only Taz and his detestable face instead of the surprised, confused expression of the orderly. But the harder she fought the more her limbs grew unbearably heavy. She realized as she tried to shake it off she must've been sedated. Her head lolled back onto the pillow and she panted with exertion. "I'll fucking kill you," she said, slurring the words.

Her eyelids closed and she heard her mother's frightened whisper, "She's not right. She's been through trauma. It's not her fault."

"We'll have to take her for a psych evaluation," said a deep, male voice and Lily fought to open her eyes, cracking one open.

"Fuh cue," she breathed, glaring at the orderly, and then there was blackness.

Lily heard voices again and sighed, wishing they'd stop. They seemed to swirl around her, saying her name, and she tried harder to block them out. "She's coming 'round," said one, a familiar voice, over the others.

"Where am I?" Lily groaned, body aching. She tried to push hair out of her face but her arm was restrained. Panic bloomed inside her. "What-? Why-?" She tried to move her other arm but it was restrained as well. "Let me go."

Her mother's perfume filled her nose and a comforting hand brushed hair off her face. "You're in the hospital, honey," Ginny Potter murmured. "Everything is okay." Lily looked at her mother, her chocolate brown eyes filling with tears.

"Then why are you crying?" She tried to move again. "Why am I-?"

"You attacked three nurses and an orderly," came James's voice to her right. She looked over at him and it all came rushing back.

"He has her," she said, eyes going wide. Ginny bit her lip, looking helplessly over her shoulder. "You have to get her."

James ran a hand through his hair. "There's no one to get, Lily," he said evenly.

"Honey, everything is okay," Ginny said, hand trembling a little as it smoothed over her brow. "Everything's going to be just fine."

"No, no, no," she said, shaking her head. She stared imploringly at James. "He has her. My pimp, he has a new one. I fucking trained her. He'll fucking sell her to the highest bidder," she whispered, tears falling thick and fast from her eyes. She couldn't wipe them away and didn't try. "She's fifteen, she doesn't know what she's doing."

James shook his head as Ginny sniffled, wiping her tears away. "Lily," James said seriously, and he gripped her hand. His felt large, and rough, and very warm. "He doesn't have anyone. He's dead."

She blinked. "Dead?" James nodded. Lily's brows pulled together. "How?"

James opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, a brisk voice said, "Ah, Miss Potter, you're awake. Excellent."

Her family moved aside and Lily stared up at a thirty something with wire rimmed glasses, curly hair, tanned skin, and a friendly smile. He had a white coat, a clipboard, and a name tag that said Dr. Muhammadi. She mistrusted him immediately. "Who the fuck are you?" she growled, and ignored her mother's shocked expression.

He smiled a little wider. "I'm Dr. Muhammadi."

The redhead glared. "I can fucking see that. I'm not fucking retarded. The fuck you want?"

Her mother looked appalled but she could see out of the corner of her eye that James was trying not to laugh. Even her father's mouth twitched a little. "I'm here for your psychiatric evaluation."

Lily regarded him for a moment. "You should probably just write down, 'fucking psycho bitch' on your little clipboard and we can be done," she said.

His smile widened further. "You have a sense of humour I see."

She glared. "Yeah, I'm a fucking regular comedienne." Her mother still looked appalled.

"Lily," she hissed.

"Tell you what, Doc, you take this shit," she moved her restrained arms, "off, and I'll fucking chit chat with you 'bout how I'm all fucked up. Okay?"

Dr. Muhammadi sat down on a rolling stool and glided over to her bedside after James moved. "Unfortunately, I can't do that." He consulted his clipboard and she rolled her eyes. "Are you feeling suicidal?" he murmured.

"Right this second? No." His mouth quirked.

"Are you feeling violent toward others?"

She grit her teeth. "Does that include you? 'Cause the answer to that might be yes."

Dr. Muhammadi glanced at her family. "Would you prefer to conduct this interview in private, Miss Potter?"

"Naw. I'd prefer you unlock this shit, let me have a fucking cigarette, and then we can chit chat."

James smirked, leaned down and hugged her tight for a moment. "I have to go anyway, Lils. Marie's home with the baby."

"Bye, Jamie. Give little man kisses for me." She glared back at the doctor. "So? We got a fucking deal or what, buddy?"

"Lily," her mother said again, sounding horribly embarrassed.

"It's quite all right, Mrs. Potter," Dr. Muhammadi said easily. "I expect, after the ordeal your daughter has been through, it might take her awhile to warm up."

Lily snorted. "Even if it was before whatever the fuck ordeal you're talkin' about, I ain't gonna warm up to you. Believe me. Ask Hollywood, you don't believe me."

The doctor looked intrigued. "Who's Hollywood?" She smirked, sat back and sighed.

"I'll tell you when I get my fucking cigarette."

Lily was released from hospital a week later, after going through a seventy two hour stint in the psych ward, and she was filled in on what everyone else knew about the night she'd gone back to her apartment.

According to the police files, Ty had shot Taz, point blank, with the fucker's own .45. He was sitting in jail, awaiting a judge to set bail, but was expected to get off. He had, after all, been working to save Lily's life. Baby, or Carla as Lily was reminded her name really was, had slipped out of the apartment before the cops showed up. No one knew what happened to her, or if they did, they weren't talking. Lily hoped she was at home with her mother, thanking her lucky fucking stars. Taz had been rushed to hospital, but he'd died on the operating table from complications. Lily was only sad she hadn't gotten to be the one to pull the trigger.

Of course, the money and blow at her apartment, all of it, had been confiscated by police, and while Lily was pissed no one had bothered to bring her her purse, she found out later her cell phone had been the one to call 911. She assumed said phone was under a hundred feet of water at the end of the pier and sighed, because all her contacts were in that phone.

It wasn't until she was being discharged that it all sank in to Lily. She was free of Taz, homeless, without money or drugs or alcohol, and had been recommended for intensive inpatient treatment at a rehab facility by Dr. Muhammadi, to whom she'd spilled all her deepest, darkest secrets while under evaluation. Her parents pushed her to going to treatment. Lily wanted her last hurrah. And to at least text Malfoy and tell him what had happened. Instead, she went to treatment.

Three days after finishing the program, when she transitioned into the halfway house, she went to Dave's, bought a forty dollar bag, and snorted it all in one go. The sober living house kicked her out when she came back high, and Lily, hating that she'd let her parents down again, agreed to go back to inpatient treatment. She completed her program, went to a different sober living house for three months, and then moved back in with her parents.

Her mother had joined her in treatment, to learn how to manage her own anxiety and stress, and even though Lily hated it, and barely looked up the entire time, she found the words to tell her parents what had happened to her at her thirteenth birthday, all through the eighth grade, and then at last on her fourteenth birthday.

She'd expected to see revulsion and disgust on their faces when she at last looked up, but all Lily saw on her mother and father's faces was pain and tortured anguish. Her mother kept apologizing, and her father barely said a word, other than a gruff, "It was never your fault, honey." And life, as it had a habit of doing, moved on.

The redhead was coming back from her morning run, almost ten months to the day after she first woke up in hospital, and smiled to her parents' neighbour, Mrs. Langley, who was pruning her rose bushes. "Hello dear," the woman said, beaming. Lily wondered how many times she'd fallen into the rose bushes the woman tended lovingly, after one too many drinks in her teen years. "Mail just came," she said.

"Thank Mrs. L. Your roses are looking great." She chugged some water, a little out of breath still, and plucked the stack of mail from the box as she went into her parents' house.

"Lily, honey, is that you?" her mother called from the kitchen.

"Yeah. I come bearing mail," she said, coming in, and wiped sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand, flicking through the stack. "This is so balls, how come you and Dad get all the mail?" she huffed, turning the corner into the kitchen and tossing the stack onto the counter. None of it was for her.

"Because they're obviously way more popular than you," a familiar voice drawled, and Lily felt all the hairs on her arms stand up. Her head whipped around and her mouth dropped open. Because there, sitting in her parents' kitchen, looking for all the world like he hadn't a single care, and mouth watering sexy to boot, was Scorpius fucking Malfoy.

He had dark jeans and the same soft grey t-shirt she was pretty sure she'd cried all over at one point, and his mouth was quirked into that sexy, taunting half smile. She felt her face going red. "The fuck you doing here, Hollywood?" she snapped, disliking the way he stared at her.

"Your mail got personally delivered," her mother said smugly, and Lily shot her a warning glance. "I'll just leave you two," Ginny said, and breezed out into the back yard.

"Gimme my mail," she said, holding out a hand. Malfoy stood up. "Please," she added when he lifted a brow.

"I see why Red became your nickname," he said, drawing a finger down her cheek, and Lily tried not to shiver with awareness. "You look good."

She shrugged. "Not half starved and coked out at least," she said pointedly and he winced a little.

"I was hoping you didn't hear that." She grinned.

"You weren't wrong, Malfoy." She folded her arms, feeling vulnerable in her sports bra and leggings. "So where's my mail?"

He pulled an envelope from his back pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to her. She glanced at the return address. _Malfoy Entertainment Co_. and frowned. "You own your own production company?" she asked after a long moment.

"That's how I knew they wouldn't want me to pay you in cash," he said lightly, and she glanced up to find him smiling at her. "Open it," he added, and she hooked a fingernail into the corner of the flap and tore it open efficiently. "Still got the talons, I see," he said teasingly.

Lily smirked. "Yeah. Too bad they're green this week," she murmured. "No clawing or hand holding, whatever you'd like to call it, to come. I just got these babies done yesterday, and I don't wanna be scrubbing off bloodstains."

She unfolded the typed letter, thanking her for her valuable time in the making of his movie, wishing her all the best, blah, blah, blah. She skimmed through it, noting he'd decided to call his film 'A Paying Customer'. Her brows lifted a bit at that, but she shrugged. His movie, after all.

Folded into the letter was her check, for her time spent filming, and she stared at it for a long moment. "Does...does that say…?" She couldn't force her mouth to say the words.

"Yes," Malfoy said lightly. She looked up into his intense, dark grey eyes.

"How…?"

He grinned. "Without you, Lily, there is no movie. So you got a little bonus. And Salty said he'd never work with me again if I gyped you."

"Malfoy, this is a fucking check for twenty five thousand dollars," she murmured. Her hand trembled as she held it.

"And I can't tell you how inordinately pleased it makes me to know not a cent of it, hopefully, will go into the pockets of drug dealers."

She stared at him, unsure whether she wanted to laugh, or punch him. Then, to her overwhelming embarrassment, she started crying. Lily didn't resist as he folded her into his chest, breathing in the soft smell of him through his shirt, her tears soaking into the cotton, and for a long moment she held him, the stupid check clutched in her hand, and sobbed.

His warm hands moved soothingly up and down her back, and he didn't say anything, for which she was grateful. Then she realized she was still sweaty, was pressed to his front from shoulders to knees, and she'd never felt safer. "I'm sweaty," she murmured at last, and a watery chuckle came out.

"It's okay," he said softly.

She pulled back to look at him, those steady dark grey eyes, intense and unwavering, staring right back. Soft, comforting, promising to hold her secrets, and filled with some emotion she couldn't pinpoint. "You were right," she murmured after a long moment.

"Of course I was," he replied, smirking. She smiled. "Enlighten me as to which part I was right about."

"All of it." She reached for his hand with her free one.

"Does that mean I'm the exception to every rule?" he asked softly.

"It does," she replied, and didn't even try to fight the widening smile. She felt a warmth in her chest and her cheeks flushed attractively. "At least, as far as I can tell. For all I know you still have a white-boy dick." He chuckled.

"So I suppose there's just one last question I need to ask you then," Malfoy murmured.

"Go for it, Hollywood," she said, and a thousand butterflies took flight in the pit of her stomach as he smoothed a wisp of hair from her forehead. "That's how this goes right? You ask the questions, I answer them."

He smiled and readjusted their hands, weaving his fingers between hers. "Do you want to have dinner with me?"

Before she could reply, there was the sound of the front door opening and a loud voice hollered, "The favourite child has arrived!"

It was quickly followed by a grumbled, "Albus, get out of the way, this car seat weighs a ton."

Lily smirked. "Come meet my brothers," she said lightly, purposely not answering him, and dragged Malfoy by the hand to the foyer, releasing him to hug both her older brothers, and her sister in law, before unbuckling her chubby, squealing nephew from his car seat. "Hi, little man! Oof! You're getting so big, buddy," she grunted, hefting him up onto a hip.

Albus and James were both looking suspiciously at Malfoy, who seemed, to the redhead, the tiniest bit nervous now. "Who're you?" Albus asked.

"That's Hollywood," she said lightly, removing baby Felix's hand from her face. "He's the movie guy."

Albus stuck his hand out. "Well, that's alright then," he said, and Scorpius shook his hand.

James looked suspicious still. "So you're the one who just let her go back there," he said. Lily frowned.

"James," she chided. He waved her down.

"So?" James asked.

"I am," Malfoy said lightly. He put his hand out. "Scorpius Malfoy. You must be James. Was it your idea to put the frogs in Lily's bed when you were kids?"

Albus laughed uproariously. "Oh God, I almost forgot about that," he gasped between laughs. Lily rolled her eyes, and James grinned, and shook Malfoy's hand.

"It was," he agreed. "But that's because she broke all my favourite CDs the week before."

Lily frowned, passing Felix to Marie as they moved back toward the kitchen. "Because you burned my favourite Barbie!" she snapped.

"Which we only did," James shot back as Malfoy's hand slid into Lily's again, "'cause you wouldn't admit we're the best brothers in the world. We gave you plenty of warning."

Albus was doubled over laughing. "Stop," he gasped. "I can't…" He dissolved into more laughter. "H-how do you freaks remember this crap?" he panted, laughing.

Lily grinned as her brothers moved out, with Marie and Felix, to the back yard. She looked up at Malfoy when he squeezed her hand gently. "You didn't answer the question."

"I know," she said. His brows drew together when she smirked. "But since you're no longer a paying customer, I'm no longer bound to answer." She laughed at his shocked expression. "C'mon, let's go out and you can meet everyone properly. And I'll think about dinner."

XXX


	9. Chapter 9

A Paying Customer

written by: albe-chan

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction and I do NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned that belong to JK Rowling, and any similarities with real life are purely coincidental.

WARNING: This work will contain lots of MATURE THEMES, such as coarse language, mature subject matter (scenes containing drug use, prostitution, graphic sex, nudity, mentions of non-consensual sex and sexual acts, etc.), and violence. THIS MAY BE A TRIGGER IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF ASSAULT OF ANY SORT, OR SUFFER(ED) DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION ISSUES. Please, if you are not over the age of 18, or of majority in your country, DO NOT READ THIS! Seriously, not for the faint of heart, either. You have been warned!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not endorse or necessarily support any of the themes in this story. Yes, there are lots of racial stereotypes, no, I do not prescribe to them. Seriously, this is a work of fiction, people. If this work offends you, I apologize, as that was not my intention.

XXX

EPILOGUE

"You're shitting me."

"Not in the slightest."

"You gotta be fucking shitting me," Lily Potter said firmly, half glaring. Scorpius Malfoy smirked at her.

"Why in the hell would I be joking about this, Lily?" he asked, and grinned hugely. She stared back down at the letter, tossing her long red hair over her shoulders. "Besides, now you get to say I told you so," he added huskily, and she giggled when his mouth ghosted, hot and erotic, down her neck.

It was Friday morning, she didn't have class until two, having gone back to college to finish her degree in early childhood education, focusing in child and youth counselling, and they were sitting in bed, naked together, after a long and thorough wake up call the redhead had initiated. Lily had moved in with Scorpius almost two months ago, on the two year anniversary after she found him in her parents' kitchen. "Of course I told you so," she murmured, distracted when his mouth moved down and across her shoulder.

Scorpius had finished his movie and released it and it had been, to Lily's surprise anyway, a smash hit. Critical acclaim and a decent profit, the whole nine yards. At least, as far as documentaries went. Her family had watched it, the night before release, but Lily had declined. She didn't want to see herself that way. And she knew if she watched herself snorting on film, it would be damaging to her sobriety and she'd need more than a little therapy to deal with seeing herself at that time in her life. The cocaine cravings had, thankfully, become less frequent, but she still battled them at random intervals. And, after almost a year of intense therapy, she wasn't exactly in the mood for even more. Not that it was all bad. She'd worked through a lot of the heavy shit, learned how to carry it, like Salts had said, so that it wasn't dragging her down.

She credited most of her strength to Scorpius, who'd been there, holding her hand whenever she needed it, from that morning in her parents' kitchen. He'd seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. From when she screamed herself hoarse in the worst fits of relapse-worthy craving rages and cried herself to sleep curled in a ball in the throes of darkest depression, to her breaking down into tears of joy and bawling her eyes out when James and Marie had their second baby, a girl, and she got to hold the squalling bundle, who'd been named after her, when she was less than an hour old. And, perhaps hardest of all, he'd helped her through the painfully slow process of not just accepting her beauty, but owning it, and the even slower process of coming to terms with physical intimacy. Scorpius had become her rock, her best friend, and her lover.

"Scorpius," she murmured as his mouth moved back toward her neck.

"Mmm?" he rumbled, pushing her long red mane aside, kissing the nape of her neck. She instinctively tensed, but his mouth, warm and firm, so unlike the horrible memories and overriding them, stayed there until she relaxed, breath huffing out.

"I…" He pulled back, sensing her mind wandering.

"You…?" he prompted after she fell silent.

"I don't know if I can go," she said, looking down at the two tickets that had been folded into the letter.

"Why not?" he asked. She leaned into him, solid and warm and utterly comforting, and his hand smoothed over her hair.

"I haven't even seen your movie. And everyone's going to know, if they've seen it, that I'm me. Like, it's me in your film." She looked up and he smiled a little.

"Darling," he murmured, then bent to kiss her, whisper soft. "It's the Oscars. I'm not going if you're not coming with me."

She frowned. "You have to go. It's your movie. Hollywood meets Hollywood and all that." His mouth quirked a little.

"And you're the star," he countered. She winced. "You know what I mean. And besides, anyone who's seen the movie is going to know that you're obviously amazing. I mean, really, look at you. What's not to like, right?"

She grinned. "Still."

He smirked, and kissed her again, with a little more heat this time, making her groan softly into his mouth before pulling back. "Still. It's a documentary, I doubt anyone present will actually have even seen it." She still looked hesitant and Scorpius sighed. "Do you wanna meet Johnny Depp or not?"

Lily chuckled, put a hand to his face and kissed him. "Fine. We'll go. But that means I have to buy a red carpet worthy dress." He rolled his eyes.

"Good thing you made a killing on that movie," he grumbled, and she laughed, tossed the letter and tickets to the Oscars aside, and kissed him properly.

"Yeah. The guy who made it was kind of a prick, but it was still totally worth it." Scorpius pulled her close.

"I knew, you know. On that last night, when you told me you knew I liked you and called me unprofessional, I knew," he murmured.

"Knew what?" she asked, laying back as he moved over her, kissing her lips and chin and jaw and throat. Her eyelids fluttered a little and she smoothed her palms over the breadth of his shoulders.

"That I was in love with you," he murmured, impossibly lower, against her throat. She smiled. "And that even when you're being a bitch and wearing too much makeup and dressed like a coke whore, you're beautiful."

She threaded her fingers through his blond hair, tugging as he nipped teasingly at a sensitive spot on her ribs. "And I knew that night that you're an insufferable jerk," she gasped. He chuckled, lips tickling her belly. "But it was the first night I spent with you after rehab, when you delivered my mail to my parents' house, that I knew I loved you." She looked down as his dark grey eyes flicked up to meet her hazel gaze, and the world seemed to stop spinning. Everything except this man, this lovely, wonderful, beautiful man with his intense eyes and easy smirk and blond hair, seemed unimportant. She still wasn't sure she deserved him, but she couldn't deny, she needed him, in every way.

His lips met hers again, hands roving with practiced ease over one another, and she moaned, soft and sensual, into his mouth as his hand traced over her curves adoringly. "And now?" he rumbled.

"And now I love you more. But not as much as I will tomorrow." Her mouth curved into a smile as his hand, warm, confident, and softly gentle moved back up, and she knew it was also because she had no doubt in her heart, body, or mind, that he loved her in return. And as he kissed her again, rolling her atop him for round two, Lily wanted to pleasure him in every and any way he wanted, because she loved him more than she'd ever thought she could love any man. And he wasn't just a paying customer.

XXX

The End


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